Submarine wreck near Nantucket Island

In April 1944, a German submarine prowled near the American island of Nantucket. One of its victims was an American tanker, which got too far from the convoy it was covering. The U-boat treated the sinking ship as a cover and avoided detection.

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However, the flagship USS Joyce launched a successful depth charge, forcing the Kriegsmarine ship to sail. Under further heavy shelling, U-550 sank and disappeared into the depths for nearly 70 years, becoming one of the mysteries of World War II in the region. Of the 66 crew members, 44 lost their lives that day defending themselves to the very end.

After years of research and a painstaking search, scientists have managed to find a German submarine on the bottom about 110km south of Nantucket. The U-boat wreck is one of the last undiscovered German wrecks along the US east coast. During the years of war between the Third Reich and the US, German vessels preyed on merchant ships in the region and forced coastal towns to forcibly “turn off” their lights for the night.

The seven-member team from New Jersey that discovered the wreck said they would return to the site to conduct a thorough examination. So far, one dive has taken place on the wreck to confirm that the wreck hunters have found what they were looking for.

Members of the expedition do not want to give details of the find so as not to attract other divers over the location, but as far as we know, the wreck is only within reach of very experienced divers.

Source: bostonglobe.com