First people on the wreck of the submarine U-576 - video

Shipwreck explorers united under the aegis of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are the first to see with their own eyes the wreck of the German submarine U-576 and the tanker SS “Bluefields” that it sank. Both vessels sank in 1942. near Cape Hatteras off the coast of North Carolina in the USA. The wrecks were found by NOAA researchers and surveyed by unmanned vehicles in 2014.

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The expedition brought together a number of prominent researchers representing GUE, GlobalSubDive, NOAA, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the University of North Carolina Coastal Studies Institute, among others. The aim was to survey the wrecks located at a site referred to as the ‘Graveyard of the Atlantic’(ed.).

The participants of the expedition were particularly interested in the wrecks of the U-boat U-576 found two years earlier and its last victim – the SS tanker “Bluefields”. Both are a silent monument to the clash that took place here in 1942. The vessels are buried at a depth of about 250 metres, in a place 50 km from the American coast.

Due to the great depth at which the vessels lie, it was decided to use a two-man NEMO underwater vehicle to explore them. The remaining wrecks during this expedition, located between 60 and 120 metres, were explored and documented by four-person diving teams. All targets were examined from an archaeological point of view, but also the impact and threat they pose to the surrounding environment.

The data collected during the expedition using modern technologies will allow to create very precise 3D models of the wrecks themselves and their immediate surroundings. The effects of this work will then be made available online, so that everyone can see what the underwater battlefield of 74 years ago looks like.

As for the 1942 confrontation itself, it ended much better for the crew of the SS “Bluefield”, who completely survived the sinking of the tanker. In the opposite direction were 45 Kriegsmarine sailors, who were part of the crew of a German U-boat. They all died in the depths of the Atlantic.

Having been on patrol for a month, U-576 radioed a message to the command in occupied France on 13 July 1942. He reported, among other things, the lack of success during the patrol and the damage suffered. At noon on July 14, 1942 the 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 Nicaraguan-flagged tanker SS “Bluefield” was sunk, and two more vessels suffered damage. In response, the U.S. Navy’s flanking force bombarded and shelled U-576’s position, resulting in the sinking of the enemy ship in just a few minutes.

Expeditions such as the one described above allow us to learn about a chapter of history that Americans have not seen for years. For a very long time, the US public was unaware of how close to their country enemy vessels were, waiting for a convenient opportunity to attack. The first evidence of the close presence of U-boats was the wreck explored by, among others, Richie Kholer, who presented the whole story in the film “Shadow divers”.

The U-576 was a German Type VIIC submarine used in World War II operations. She remained in service from 26 June 1941 until she was sunk off the coast of the USA by the US Navy on 15 July 1942. During this time she sank four enemy vessels and damaged two others.

Source: noaa.gov