Searching for Shipwrecks off the Outer Banks of North Carolina

The Outer Banks of North Carolina is known as “The Graveyard of the Atlantic.” The treacherous shoals and shifting sandbars are home to thousands of shipwrecks. This summer the search continues for one of the area’s most notorious shipwrecks, a German submarine who attacked a convoy from Hampton Roads in 1942. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is leading the search, hoping to document the underwater remains of the Battlefield of the Atlantic, without disturbing the wrecks, some of which are considered gravesites. The waters off Hatteras Island are the final resting place for almost 80 known World War II vessels, including U.S. British naval fleets, merchant ships and German U-boats.

Known as the Battle of Convoy KS-520, the convoy was attacked shortly after leaving Hampton in July of 1942. The military convoy consisted of five military escorts and 19 container ships and was headed to Key West, Florida. The convoy fought back and sinking the German submarine. The battle resulted in the sinking of the Bluefields, U-576, J.A. Mowinckel, Chilore, and the US Navy tug, the Keshena. Three of convoy vessels strayed into a minefield off Hatteras Island in an attempt to evade the attack.

Researchers will survey a large area using remote-sensing technologies, such as a autonomous-programmable unmanned-underwater vehicle. Targeted surveys will use mulit-beam sonar systems to produce 3-D images and detailed models of the wreck sites.

For more information on this expedition, please visit the National Marine Sanctuaries website Battle of the Atlantic website.