16 incredible sunken wrecks from WWI and WWII

World War I (1914 to 1918) and World War II (1939 to 1945) saw some of the biggest naval battles and operations in history, and shipwrecks from this era are scattered across the world's oceans — around 15,000 ships, and over 500,000 people, were sunk during World War II alone, according to some estimates. Voyages by sea were the main means of travel at the time of the world wars, and control of the oceans was a primary goal in both conflicts.

Almost 80 years after the end of World War II, the wrecks of thousands of ships from World War I and World War II still lie on the seafloor, each with a unique — and often tragic — story behind it.

Here, we take a look at some of the most notable underwater wrecks from World War I and World War II.