A 3D radar scan showing the craft perfectly intact in 308ft (94 metres) of water

HMS Narwhal was attacked by Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain in July 1940

Polish divers found it 140 miles (225km) off the east coast of Scotland

Divers were searching for ORP Orzel (Eagle) when they found the Narwhal

Orzel has been missing since escaping the German invasion of Poland in 1939

The final resting place of 58 British seaman who were killed when their submarine sank in World War Two has been discovered in the North Sea by accident.

The wreck of the HMS Narwhal was found 77 years after it disappeared by a group of Polish divers who were looking for one of their nation's lost submarines in the area.

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A 3D radar scan showing the craft perfectly intact in 308ft (94 metres) of water has confirmed it to be the war-time submarine which was attacked by the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain in July 1940.

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A 3D radar scan showing the craft perfectly intact in 308ft (94 metres) of water has confirmed it to be HMS Narwhal (pictured) which was attacked by the Luftwaffe in July 1940

The wreck was stumbled upon 77 years after it disappeared by a group of Polish divers who were looking for one of their nation's lost submarines in the area

HMS NARWHAL The wreck was stumbled upon 77 years after it disappeared by a group of Polish divers who were looking for one of their nation's lost submarines in the area. HMS Narwhal left its base in Blyth, Northumberland, tasked with the job of laying mines off German-occupied Norway. But the Germans had cracked the Royal Navy's secret codes and were aware of Narwhal's potential route. It was intercepted by a Dornier bomber and attacked on July 23. It sank with all hands 140 miles off the east coast of Scotland. At the time it was one of the Royal Navy's most fierce submarines during the 1930s. It was fitted with 12 torpedoes and was also fitted with a four inch surface gun. It was skippered by Lieutenant Commander Ronald Burch.

The submarine left its base in Blyth, Northumberland, tasked with the job of laying mines off German-occupied Norway.

But the Germans had cracked the Royal Navy's secret codes and were aware of Narwhal's potential route.

It was intercepted by a Dornier bomber and attacked on July 23.

Earlier this year members of Santi Diving, a Polish-based group of deep-sea explorers, were carrying out a search for ORP Orzel (Eagle) when they found the Narwhal.

It was 140 miles (225km) off the east coast of Scotland and it's latitude is in line with Edinburgh.

The Orzel has been missing since escaping the German invasion of Poland in 1939.

Polish divers have spent the last 10 years looking for it without success.

Having made the potentially historic discovery the team are now looking to find the families of the 58 men whose remains are inside the wreck.

Tomasz Stachura, one of the divers behind the expedition, said: 'We are very interested in any contact with HMS Narwhal staff relatives as it would be good to hear their stories.

'While we were searching for the ORP Eagle we found an unknown sub at a depth of around 308ft (94 metres) deep.

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'At first we hoped it could be the Eagle, one of our own Polish submarines, but we soon found that the wreck was 13ft (4 metres) longer then Eagle, thus excluding it from the sought-after submarine', he said.

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The team discovered it was the 290ft-long (88-metre-long) HMS Narwhal, a mine-laying submarine lost on in the vicinity patrol.

The submarine left its base in Blyth, Northumberland, tasked with the job of laying mines off German-occupied Norway. Pictured are 3D radar scans (from side, image two; from above, image three and four; and graphic, image five) of the stricken submarine, which match the dimensions of the Narwhal (artist's impression, image one)

'As far as we know the location of HMS Narwhal is still unknown', said Mr Stachura.

'In my opinion some further research on the wreck would be advisable to ensure that the identity of this wreck can be established for sure.

'Hopefully this can help in confirming the fate of the crew lost with the submarine', he said.

The area it was found in along with the length and shape of the wreck appear to confirm it is the Narwhal.

At the time it was one of the Royal Navy's most fierce submarines during the 1930s. It was fitted with 12 torpedoes and was also fitted with a four inch surface gun.

It was skippered by Lieutenant Commander Ronald Burch.

The submarine left its base in Blyth, Northumberland, tasked with the job of laying mines off German-occupied Norway. But the Germans had cracked the Royal Navy's secret codes and were aware of Narwhal's potential route

Having made the potentially historic discovery (pictured) the team are now looking to find the families of the 58 men whose remains are inside the wreck

HMS Narwhal is believed to have sunk the German U-boat, 'U-1', the first submarine built by the Third Reich, which disappeared on patrol on April 6, 1940.

George Malcomson, creator of archives with the National Museum of the Royal Navy, said he discovery represents just one of several British submarines that are still missing to this day.

Mr Malcomson said: 'There were lots of British submarines and ships that were lost, not just during the Second World War, but the First World War also.

'During WWI there were 54 that went missing and that increased to around 70 during WWII.

HMS Narwhal is believed to have sunk the German U-boat, 'U-1', the first submarine built by the Third Reich, which disappeared on patrol on April 6, 1940. Pictured are radar images

'The problem is that they head into patrol areas, don't come back, and no one knows what happened to them.

'Finding them involves looking at enemy records among various other things, and in recent years there has been a steady trickle of submarine and ship wrecks being found', he said.

He said the Polish team who discovered the Narwhal have a 'burning desire' to locate the Eagle.

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'That's is great to see, but unfortunately so many British vessels went missing during those years that if you were to try and find them all it would take up your whole life until you died', he said.