The team of the Underwater Research Center went to the Crimea to explore the aquatic area of the Kerch strait for the first time. The area comprised capes Tuzla, Ak-Burun and Malyi.
This expedition is our contribution to the full-scale search and reconnaissance activities in this area of the Black sea. In early March the specialists of the URC RGS were assigned several tasks. First, they had to examine more than 10 square kilometers of the sea bed with the sonar. Secondly, when detecting the so-called sea bed anomaly, they had to make "testing" dives. In total, our divers spent almost 24 hours underwater.
Sonar survey in the water territory of the Kerch Strait
Diving inspection and identification of seabed anomalies
Implementation of a technique to recover military machinery (if discovered)
Out of 22 anomalies detected 16 turned out to be wreck sites. For example, our specialists visited previously unknown single-engine airplane dated by the time of the Great Patriotic war and the remains of the Soviet G-5 motor torpedo boat. This hydroplane craft was developed under the guidance of the well-known aircraft designer A.N. Tupolev in the 1930s, it was capable of developing speed up to 50-55 knots. During the Great Patriotic War, the Black Sea Navy included 2 brigades of motor torpedo boats which were actively used in action. Two unique parameters - their speed and nonmagnetic bodies - made them successfully sweep for acoustic mines.
It is reasonable to continue exploring the seabed more to the south, in the waters confined by capes Malyi and Tuzla in the north, and capes Opuk and Zheleznyi rog in the south.
