Baltijos jūroje nuskendusio Lietuvos karo laivo "Prezidentas Smetona" ir prekybos laivų "Panevėžys", "Kretinga", "Utena" identifikavimas

LT2017 m. tyrimams lėšų skirta Lietuvos Respublikos vyriausybės nutarimu, projektą įtraukus į "Istorinės atminties puoselėjimo" projektų sąrašą. Tyrimai Estijos teritoriniuose vandenyse, Suomijos įlankoje, vyko birželio 28-liepos 10 d. Šį projektą inicijavo ir įvykdė BRIAI kartu su partneriais-Lietuvos kariuomenės Karinėmis jūrų pajėgomis ir Estijos Respublikos nacionaliniu paveldo departamentu (Muinsuskaitseamet). Ekspedicijos tikslas-distancinio veikimo prietaisais ištirti spėjamas 1939–1945 m. nuskendusių laivų "Prezidentas Smetona", "Panevėžys", "Kretinga" ir "Utena" vietas ir juos identifikuoti. Ekspedicijos metu Suomijos įlankoje buvo apžiūrėti ir nuskenuoti visi 4 nuskendę laivai: "Prezidentas Smetona" ir prekybiniai garlaiviai "Panevėžys", "Kretinga", "Utena". Tyrimai buvo atliekami iš KU mokomojo-tiriamojo laivo škunos "Brabander", skenuojant nuskendusių laivų vietas autonominiu povandeniniu aparatu LAUV Ocean Scan (LOS). [...] [p. 687-688].

ENThe investigation was conducted in Estonian territory in the Gulf of Finland. The project was initiated and carried out by BRIAI in partnership with the Lithuanian navy and the National Heritage Board of the republic of Estonia (Muinsuskaitseamet). The expedition’s purpose was to use remote devices to investigate the sites where the Prezidentas Smetona, Panevėžys, Kretinga and Utena are suspected to have sunk during 1939–1945 and to identify the ships. The investigation was conducted from the KU training research ship, the schooner Brabander, by scanning the sites of sunken ships using a LAUV (Light Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) made by OceanScan. The warship Prezidentas Smetona, formerly German minesweeper М–59, was built in 1917. It was sunk on 11 January 1945. Eleven side scan sonar pictures of the sunken ship were made at a depth of roughly 72 m. The Lithuanian merchant steamship Panevėžys (built in 1924) sank in 1939. The ship now lies in 84.5–85 m of water. Sonar pictures of it were obtained using the LAUV. Two former Lithuanian merchant steamships, Kretinga and Utena, were sunk on 14 and 15 August 1941 in the Gulf of Finland. They were investigated at a depth of 90–94 m and five sonar pictures were made By analysing the sonar pictures and comparing them to available iconographic material about the ships, the conclusion was drawn that the identification of the warship Prezidentas Smetona and the merchant steamship Panevėžys with the investigated sunken ships is beyond doubt. The obtained investigation material allows the statement to be made that the find spots of the Utena and the Kretinga have been confused. An effort will be made to have the government of the Republic of Estonia give these sunken ships, which are important to Lithuanian history, the status of underwater cultural heritage objects.