The UC-42 German submarine sank off Roches Point at the mouth of Cork Harbour on September 10, 1917, when a mine it was carrying exploded, killing all 27 sailors on board.

Local divers discovered the submarine’s location in 2010, and it has since been declared a war grave under the National Monuments Act.

Cork diver Timmy Carey, a member of the Blackwater Sub Aqua Club, discovered the propeller’s location around two years ago, approximately 15 meters from the submarine wreck.

Carey initiated a plan to safeguard the relic against trawling and salvage, noting that Monday’s recovery operation demonstrated how authorities can work together to “successfully recover vulnerable materials from wreck sites like the UC-42 submarine.”