For the first three WWII years the torpedo boat S-57 served in the German navy in the North Sea, and at the beginning of 1944 it was transferred to the Adriatic. Operating from Dubrovnik, the S 57 participated in many German convoy security operations in the Southern Adriatic and during this it clashed with British light naval forces on many occasions from which it escaped without major damage.
At dusk on the 18th August the the German S-flotilla including S-57 boat sailed out of Rijeka Dubrovačka and headed towards the Mljet Channel. On the 19th August the boats ran into the British boats’ ambush. The British opened fire from at the German unit. Soon after the S-57 was hit, and a fierce fire broke out on it.
After the ten minute battle both sides ceased firing, the other German boats approached the damaged S-57 so as to help put out the fire. They couldn’t manage it, and so they tried to tow it to beach it on the shore. However the coast of Pelješac at that spot was steep, with no shallows, and as towing it back to the base was not an option, it was decided to destroy the boat. In the interior of the hull near the keel an explosive charge was placed which exploded and ruptured the bottom and at 04.32hrs. the boat sank.
The dimensions of the shipwreck are 30 meters in length, 3.5 meters in width, and 1.5 meters in height.