Tuesday, 11 February 2025
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Yesterday, the CNN website reported on the discovery of the wreck of another German vessel sunk off the coast of the USA. This time the wreck of the Kriegsmarine submarine U-576 was located and identified.
The discovery was made about 30 miles off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Interestingly, right next to the submarine wreck, another one was found, belonging to the merchant ship Bluefields. The ship was part of a convoy of 24 vessels that were heading from Virginia to Key West, Florida in July 1942.
“This is not just the discovery of a single wreck. We’ve come across an important site that over 72 years ago, was the site of a battle. These two wrecks lie just metres apart and together they will allow us to learn and disseminate their history,” said NOAA’s Joe Hot.
For now, what we do know is that the 1942 confrontation ended much better for the Bluefield’s crew, as they all survived the sinking of the ship. In the opposite direction were the 45 sailors who made up the crew of the German U-boat, all of whom died in the depths of the Atlantic.
Having been on patrol for a month, U-576 sent a radio message to the command in occupied France on 13 July 1942. He informed, among others, about the lack of success during the patrol and the damage suffered. At noon of 14 July 1942r. U-boat encountered convoy KS-520, consisting of 19 merchant ships and 5 escort units. This was an ideal opportunity for the Germans not to return to their homeland with an empty account.
As a result of the German submarine attack, the aforementioned Bluefield, flying the flag of Nicaragua, was sunk, while two others were damaged. In response, the U.S. Navy bombarded and shelled U-576’s position, which resulted in the sinking of the enemy ship in just a few minutes.
The situation described above, allows us to get to know this chapter of history, which Americans have not seen for years. For a very long time, the American public did not realise how close to their country there were enemy units, waiting for a convenient opportunity to attack. The first evidence of the close presence of U-boats was the wreck explored, among others, by Richie Kholer, who described the whole story in the film “Shadow divers”.
The site of the wreck has the status of a war grave and, in accordance with international law, there is a total ban on diving.
Source: cnn.com Photo: NOAA
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