Scuba Diving The Graveyard Of The Atlantic
U-Boats And Their Victims
During World War II, Germany knew that to win the war, they would have to shut
down the shipping lanes of the Atlantic. U-boats were the solution. During the
beginning of the war they were very effective and impossible to find and stop,
but this changed. The American destroyer Roper (DD-147) was on patrol off Nags
Head, North Carolina, just past midnight, April 14, 1942. Suddenly "action
stations" sounded as the Roper stumbled on to the U-85 while she was
running on the surface in shallow water which made submerging suicide and
fleeing a destroyer futile.
"Just before jumping into the blue green water of the Atlantic, I
quickly recheck my diving gear to make sure everything is set; I check my air,
regulators, gauges, computer, mask, and take a quick look down to make sure the
coast is clear. With a giant stride off the diving platform of the dive boat,
I'm off to see the first enemy submarine sunk off the coast of the United
States.
As I slowly follow the anchor line down to the wreck, the U-85 begins to reveal
herself. The water visibility is sixty feet creating the effect of being in a
light fog. Descending, the conning tower and the upper deck become visible.
Moving across the wreck I encounter Trigger fish, TauTaug, Blennies, and
Starfish. The marine community on the wreck is strong and thriving. It has had
forty seven years to establish itself with a variety of hard and soft coral
that cover almost all of the exposed metal surfaces. Starfish move across the
surface of the vessel, eating as they move. The barrel of the deck gun is now
home for a young Conger Eel.
Moving towards the rear of the wreck, I pass the conning tower where the
hull was pierced by the Roper's 3 inch shell fired by a young coxswain, Harry
Heyman. The hole is large enough to make it easy to peer inside the hull. The
interior of the vessel is a maze of tubing and electrical wiring that once
controlled the U-boat. A larger conger eel watches as I check out the interior
of the sub, keeping track of all my movements, poised to flee into the dark
depths of the wreck should I appear threatening.
On the aft deck, a partially decomposed torpedo storage tube is visible. Most
of the storage container has rusted away exposing a torpedo still within the
container. The stern of the boat is covered with sand and the aft hatch has
been covered over. As storms come and go, various sections of the boat are
uncovered and reburied. Artifacts are still to be found in the vessel even after
all these years on the bottom.
After the dives, back on board the dive boat, I'm already looking forward to my next dive to the U-85 to see how it has changed since I was last there." Reports SCUBA diver Vince Cook.
Known as the "Graveyard of the Atlantic", coastal North Carolina offers a wonderful and unique diving experience. With the hundreds of shipwrecks scattered throughout our waters, Wreck Diving is at its finest. Those who dive these wrecks are offered a rare glimpse into our rich maritime heritage as well as a view of the diverse variety of marine flora and fauna that collect and live on the wrecks.
For hundreds of years, ships have found their final resting-place here. Bad
weather, shoals, war, and vessels which were intentionally sunk, are the source
of the wrecks that inhabit the waters off our barrier islands. The shipwrecks
range in type and age from ancient sailing ships, Civil War era vessels, WWII
German U-Boats and their victims, to modern day trawlers, freighters and
tankers.
Some of the known wreck sites that divers visit include the Federal transport,
Oriental, which sank on May 16, 1862; the Liberty ships Zane Gray and Dionysus
which were intentionally sunk to form artificial reefs in 1974 and 1978; a
German submarine U-85 sunk by the American destroyer USS Roper on April 14,
1942; the freighter York torpedoed by the German U-66 on January 22, 1942; the
tanker Benson which was torpedoed on April 5, 1942 by a German sub U-522; the
tanker Kyzickes and the freighter Carl Gerhard ran aground and sunk in 1927 and
1929, respectively, and since broken apart on top of each other and known as
the "Triangle Wrecks"; a decommissioned WWII class PCE-845, which was
later used as the research vessel "Advance" and sunk in July 1994 to
begin an artificial reef; the Federal gunship Huron which ran aground on
November 24, 1877; the passenger-freighter City Of Atlanta, torpedoed by the
German sub U-123 on January 19, 1942; the freighter Ciltvaira also torpedoed by
the U-123 on January 21, 1942; the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Jackson which sunk
on September 14, 1944 by The Great Hurricane of September 1944 while on escort
duty protecting the torpedoed Liberty ship George Ade from further U-boat
attacks; the bulk ore carrier Marore torpedoed amidship by German sub U-432 on
February 27, 1942; and the tanker San Delfino, torpedoed by the U-203 on April
9,1942.
These are only a few of the over 600 recorded shipwrecks off the Northern
North Carolina Coast. Each one has its own history and unique story. The U-85 was
one of 24 Type VIIB German submarines built. It was commissioned on June 7,
1941 and constructed by Flender Werft at Lubeck, Germany. This "Gray
Wolf" measured 216-feet 2-inches long, (pressure hull 160-feet long),
20-foot 2-inch beam, keel to bridge height of 31-feet, and a displacement of
753 tons surfaced. The U-85 could crash dive in 30 seconds and reach a depth of
600-feet. Armed with one 20 mm. anti-aircraft gun, one 88 mm. deck gun, one
stern torpedo tube, and four bow torpedo tubes with fifteen 21-inch torpedoes
on board. It was a formidable killer.
From its beginning, the U-85 was under command of a six-year submarine veteran
from the German naval class of 1935, 25-year old Oberleutnant zur See Eberhard
Greger. The U-85's career spanned 10 months covering over 30,000 miles in four
war cruises. In those four missions the U-85 had three confirmed kills. Sunk
were: British steamer Thistleglen, 4,748 tons; British steamer Empire Fusilier,
5,408 tons; and Norwegian freighter Christine Knudsen, 4,904 tons, all three
were attacked and sunk off the United States coast.
On March 21, 1942 the U-85 left its port of St. Nazaire, France. Heading for
American waters on their forth, and to be final, mission with their wild boar
insignia proudly displayed on the conning tower. Twenty days later they sunk
the Allied merchant ship Christine Knudsen. Three uneventful days passed and
the U-85 was prowling the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay but no merchant
vessels to destroy were in sight. Heading south, just past midnight, their luck
ran out. The American destroyer Roper had found them. In the ensuing fight the
U-85 was sunk and all souls on board were lost. It now rests in 100-feet of
water North East of Oregon Inlet off Nags Head, North Carolina. It was the
first German U-Boat sunk off the United States coast.
Each year currents and storms cover and uncover shipwrecks lost at sea.
Wreck divers are thrilled by the seductiveness of diving newly uncovered
wrecks. While wreck diving is an exciting and wonderful sport, it is a
specialized diving skill, requiring quality training and experience to be
safely performed. Underwater photographers, spearfishing divers, artifact
hunters, and those who simply wish to appreciate the sites and abundant sea
life surrounding the wreck, enjoy wreck diving.
Off shore dive trips can be booked through Outer Banks Dive Center. Dive
Charters not only use a U.S.C.G. Licensed Captain, but also a very experienced
Dive Instructor. The dive boat cruises at around 20 knots for the divers
comfort and pleasure. Some of the special features of this custom dive boat
are: large enclosed cabin; shower and fresh water rinse area; large deck;
onboard Oxygen, and offers daily Scuba trips, weekend trips and night dives,
private charters and group rates.
Dive safety through education and experience is paramount for the Outer Banks
Dive Center which is proud of its staff, faculty, and associates. The staff
includes: Bill McDermott, NAUI Course Director, NSS-CDS, and IANTD Instructor
Trainer; LCDR Pat Murphy, USCG (Ret.), NAUI Instructor and U.S.C.G. Licensed
Captain; Chip Holcomb, PADI Master Instructor and EMT who has been appointed to
the PADI Master Instructor Review Committee; Mike Fantone, SSI Instructor and
U.S.C.G. Licensed Captain; Harrell Thach, NAUI Divemaster and EMT; Earl Parker,
NAUI Divemaster; and Jay Neal, PADI Divemaster. Each one has years of
experience diving the Outer Banks.
The Outer Banks Dive Center offers instruction in snorkeling, skin diving, SCUBA diving (beginning through advanced Technical) and Instructor training. Courses and seminars covering specialties such as wreck, cavern and cave diving, underwater photography, NITROX, rescue diver, ecology diver, underwater archaeology, videography, underwater mapping, search and recovery, deep diver, night diver, equipment configuration and side mount diving are offered on a regular basis. Equipment sales, repairs, Hyperpure air NITROX and mixed gas fills, rental equipment and guided beach dives are all available. For more information call (252) 449- 8349 or visit their web site at: www.OBXdive.com.