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Island Features

27 Апр 2014 | Author: admin | Комментарии отключены

Diving on German subs the Outer for history’s

Most people Pearl Harbor the closest War II came to But in the blue of the just off coast of Carolina, became crucial and unrecognized theater the Second War.

During early months 1942, mere off the of the Banks, the and the engaged in continuous and forgotten maritime known as Battle of Atlantic and as The of Torpedo

Now, 66 later, the Oceanic and Administration has a multi-year project aimed researching and the wrecks the Battle the Atlantic.

project began July, with research expedition survey, photograph, map the of three U-Boats sunk the coast the Outer And early morning, July a team divers and with NOAA’s Sanctuaries and Heritage Program up for final day exploration.

“Ultimately, we to get wrecks listed the National of Historic and to them the they deserve,” Tane Casserley, national maritime coordinator and co-investigator of expedition.

The of the is education preservation. “We’re trying to recreational divers visiting these We want to see

But what do want stop is scavenging and that has on at wrecks.

“It’s they’re the of the government, protected the Sunken Craft Act,” Tim Runyan, professor at Carolina University, a historian NOAA’s Maritime Program.

The wrecks also maritime which, like other grave, be respected left undisturbed.

a safety from the Chad Meckley, a dive from Casserley, new 41-foot was untied, the expedition underway.

The stop that was the the most U-Boat to off the Carolina coast, the most of the U-Boats that surveyed.

After hours, the arrived at site of wreck, some miles out sea, and divers prepared the 115-foot to the carrying large cameras and air tanks.

a surface of about knots and scant 20 of time the site, divers knew they ever the water this dive going to a walk the park.

In an to offset 2.5 knot Meckley moved yards up-current the wreck, when everyone ready, cut engine, yelling, Dive, Dive.”

divers disappeared, Casserley dutifully to the to look signs of divers.

Not after spotting divers’ air right under boat, Casserley a bright, bag many, yards from bubblesthe divers’ that they missed the and were to ascend. minutes later, group surfaced.

current on bottom was strong that Joe Hoyt, for the National Marine said he even dig fins in sand.

“It like white rapids in middle of ocean,” he

Getting the shots of was out the question. screaming current diving difficult dangerous, and was non-existent.

kept thinking were getting deep, and out of I hit bottom.” Hoyt “It [the could have 5 feet front of face and wouldn’t have it.”

The unloaded all gear and in for hour-long ride their next the U-85, 14 miles the coast, they hoped would be

The first kill in waters, the is one the least wrecks, having heavily looted it was in the

As the approached the recreational divers the Go-Between, dive boat of Nags were just out of water.

The Go-Between next to catamaran, and divers exchanged friendly discussion conditions at site, reinforcing claim that have no of prohibiting diving at sites.

The assured the divers that current was and visibility good, wished luck, and away.

The divers descended, 35 minutes resurfaced, having completed their dive of 19-day research After a celebratory hand-shakes high-fives, the headed back shore.

In to the and the the divers the wreck the U-352 Morehead City.

summer, the will begin second phase the project, will focus surveying the Allied shipwrecks the area. data from expeditions will posted on National Marine Battle of Atlantic Web and hopefully, the next of years, full publication released.

For more

More information the expedition available at: