Marine archaeologists have unearthed 16 British cannons, including 12-pounder cannons and carronades, on the seabed near Germany's Heligoland island. The artifacts, dating to around 1800, feature the "Blomefield ring," a clear identifier of British artillery from the Napoleonic Wars period. This discovery enhances understanding of naval history and follows earlier finds from the 1990s, reinforcing Heligoland's past significance as a British military base.
Submaris, a Kiel-based research diving company, conducted the surveys with support from Kiel University. Researchers suggest the British Navy may have intentionally scuttled the cannons before Heligoland's transfer to the German Empire in 1890, as they were considered obsolete. Heligoland was strategically vital during the Napoleonic Wars, annexed by the British in 1807 to counter Napoleon's Continental System. It served as a key hub for smuggling and trade, with goods valued at £86 million passing through the island between 1809 and 1811, a figure exceeding Britain's entire annual budget in 1811. The cannons offer a tangible link to this era of economic warfare and strategic maneuvering.