Dive Connections
2010 U-Boat Dive Tour
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May 15-16 - We will be diving on the U-352 and neighboring wrecks with the Diver Down in Morehead City, N.C.
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June 12-13 - We will be diving on the U-701 and neighboring wrecks with Dive Hatteras out of Cape Hatteras, N.C.
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July 24-25 - We will be diving on the U-85 and neighboring wrecks with OBX Diving out of Nags Head, N.C.
The map at the right indicates German U-Boats and their final locations along the East Coast of North Carolina and Virginia.
U-352
9
May, 1942. U-352, a Type VII-C U-Boat was sunk in the
Atlantic southwest of Cape Hatteras by depth charges from the US Coast Guard
Cutter Icarus with 15 killed and 33
survivors. The survivors of the U-352
were the first German prisoners of war taken by the United States after the
declaration of war with Germany. They included the captain,
Kapitänleutnant Rathke, and all were transported to the Charleston Navy Yard
after capture and then transferred to Ft. Bragg, NC where they stayed until
the end of the war. The U-352 participated in Operation
Drumroll off of the North Carolina coast in the spring of 1942 but two
unsuccessful war patrols about 100 feet of water and is about 2 hours out of
Cape Lookout, N.C.
Other wrecks in the area that we may get to dive include:
PAPOOSE -
An American Tanker 412 ft. in length was
torpedoed & sunk on march 3, 1942 by the German Submarine U-124 Vessel is
intact & upside down with the hull rising approx. 30 ft. off the bottom.
This wreck is a breeding ground for Atlantic Sand Tiger Sharks and lion
fish. Depth of dive is approx. 125 ft.
SCHURZ -
A WW1 German Cruiser 225 ft. in length was
captured & repatriated by the U.S. at the outbreak off the war On June 21,
1918 it sunk after colliding with the S.S. FLORIDA. Time has taken a heavy
toll on this vessel. The deck cannons, boilers,& engines are the remaining
structures visible making this an excellent dive. Many artifacts are still
being recovered. Depth of dive is approx. 110 ft.
AEOLUS -
An American Cable Layer 439 ft long was sunk
as an "Artificial Reef" & is broken into three major sections. The bow is
resting on its port side, the midsection is askew, and the stern section is
sitting upright. Some sections have a relief that come within 55ft of the
surface. Depth of dive is approx. 120 ft.
INDRA -
Another Artificial Reef considered an inshore
wreck but is a great penetration dive sometimes used for training. Depth of
dive is approx 70 ft.
U-701
7
July 1942. U-701, a Type VII- C U-boat was sunk near Cape
Hatteras by depth charges from an American aircraft with 39 dead and 7
survivors. This U-boat was the first submarine to be sunk by the US Air
Force during WWII. The U-701 was successful during its three
patrols sinking 9 ships and damaging 5 others. The U-701 operated as
part of three wolfpack operations including action along the North Atlantic
coast of Newfoundland, attacks all along the waters between Iceland and
England and along the East Coast of North Carolina and Virginia.
Other wrecks in the area that we may get to dive include:
KASSANDRA LOULOUDIS - When she went down the Loulou was carrying a large mixed cargo of war materials for the Brits. She’s in 75’ to 80’ of water on the outer Diamond Shoals and is one of our personal favorites.
BRITISH SPLENDOUR - A British Tanker sunk 4-6-42. Laying at 100’ to the sand, the stern section rises high and is a great penetration dive into the machinery spaces. Vis is usually very good on this wreck.
DIXIE ARROW - One of our most popular dives, this Tanker is in only 90’ of water. She is very easy to dive and navigate around having high relief and a very defined layout.
F W ABRAMS - This Tanker was a victim of "Friendly Fire" when she struck several mines in the Hatteras Minefield. Now she sits 80 feet deep and is a great dive site.
U-85
13
January 1942 - U-85, a Type VII-B U-Boat was the first
U-boat to be sunk off the North American coast after the start of the
Operation
Drumbeat
(Paukenschlag). On the day that she was sunk, 14 April,
U-85 stayed on the surface through the engagement.
After repeated hits on the boat, fatally damaging her, the order to abandon
ship was given and maybe half of the crew got into the water and then
U-85 started to sink again fast. The USS Roper then dropped 11 depth
charges onto the already sinking U-boat and its two dozen
survivors and in the process killed everyone in the water.
The U-85 sits in approximately 100 feet of water off of Cape Hatteras, NC. The German code machine called “Enigma” was found by divers in 1997 and now sits on display in the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras, N.C.
Other wrecks in the area that we may have a chance to dive on include:
JACKSON - U.S. Coast Guard Cutter, 125 ft long, sunk in the great hurricane of 1944, on the 14th, with a loss of 21 men. She is located approximately 8 miles NE from Oregon Inlet and lies in 80ft of water. The stern is broken from the bow with a separation of 80ft. The stern sits upright with all sections exposed to the sea. The sand which had previously covered most of the wreck has been moved off exposing many features that had been previously covered. The bow is sitting with a list to the starboard at 40 degrees the port side sea anchor is visible which still in it's hawser.
ADVANCE - Formerly USS Worland, PCE-845, WWII patrol craft, 184 ft long, decommissioned in June 1, 1964, subsequently used as a research vessel by Cape Fear Technical Institute. Upper deck is at 65 with the sand at an approximate depth of 80 ft.
ZANE GRAY - WWII Liberty ships, 7,191 tons, 441 ft long, first ships to be sunk off the coast of North Carolina in 1974/1978 as artificial reefs. N.C. Fisheries sight AR-160. This type of vessel was the first to use prefab construction making the best delivery time for this type of vessel approximately 4.75 days. Depth ranges from 40 to 70 feet and they lie approximately 4 miles S.E. of Oregon Inlet.
