Saturday, August 12, 2017

THERE'S GOLD IN THE OCEAN ... AGAIN!

12 August 2017: Sorry for the delay in posting - the editorial staff of Maritime Maunder was traveling - actually enjoying the outer fringes of Hurricane Franklin (kind of in keeping with the previous post!). But we're back in harness now and here's an interesting story of sunken treasure - which may never see the light of day. The following is a compendium of a couple of pieces from the British Sun and the American USA Today.....  



British treasure hunters have found a chest which could contain $163m (£125m) worth of Nazi gold. 


The casket was located in the post room of the SS Minden, a Nazi ship which was at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean just off Iceland

There are claims the cargo ship was used to transport gold from banks in South America to Nazi Germany when it sank in 1939.
 

After being intercepted by a British ship, SS Minden was scuttled by its own crew to prevent allied troops capturing it. 

sister ship to Minden
The ship and potential treasure was discovered by the Advanced Marine Services (AMS), who are now applying to Iceland’s government for permission to open the chest, The Sun reported. 
It is believed that it contains approximately four tons of valuable metal.


AMS had fallen foul of Iceland’s rules when searching for the treasure, which was located 120 miles from the shore. 


The crew of the Seabed Constructor, which was used to conduct the investigation, were ordered back to Iceland for not having the necessary licence. 

They are now claiming the contents belong to the finder and are awaiting a decision from Icelandic officials on the legal owner of the wreckage and the haul. 


The ship set off from Brazil in 1939, just days after World War II broke out, apparently to deliver gold from South American banks to Germany, the newspaper recounted. 


British naval forces spotted the ship and, rather than see the cargo seized, the Minden's captain sank the vessel — supposedly on orders from Adolf Hitler, no less.


Now the U.K.-based Advanced Marine Services, whose crew found the box, wants permission from Iceland's government to cut a hole in the ship's hull and remove the chest, claiming its contents belong to its finder, the Sun reported. [Of course, until the chest is actually found and opened, what it might or might not contain is purely conjecture - ed.]


According to the newspaper, Icelandic officials were to declare just who owns the wrecked ship, which lies 120 miles southeast of Iceland in the Atlantic Ocean.

Stay tuned - I am sure there is more to follow! 

Until next time, 
                              Fair Winds,
                                   Old Salt

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