Wow. Drag her up and display.
That’s “Gulf of America”.
Get with the program or sit down.
Growing up in Chicago, we often visited the Museum of Science and Industry. At the U-505 submarine, there was an Italian American security guard. I once asked him, “Is this a U-Boat?” He said, “No. I just a watch.”
(second time I got to use this joke in recent memory)
German Type VIIC U-boat U-576, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Hans-Dieter Heinicke, was sunk on July 15, 1942, off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, during an attack on Convoy KS-520.
The submarine, already damaged (including a severe, irreparable main ballast tank issue reported days earlier), approached the convoy submerged and fired four torpedoes around 4:15 PM. These struck and sank the Nicaraguan-flagged freighter Bluefields (2,063 tons) and damaged two other ships (Chilore and J.A. Mowinckel).
U-576 then surfaced in the middle of the convoy—reason unknown, possibly mechanical failure, intentional attempt, or emergency response to damage. It was immediately engaged: hit by gunfire from the merchant ship Unicoi, then depth-charged by two U.S. Navy Kingfisher floatplanes from VS-9. The submarine sank with all 45 crew members lost; hatches remained closed.
The wreck lay undiscovered until 2014, when NOAA-led efforts located it via sonar in August 2014 at approximately 690–721 feet (210–220 meters) depth, about 30 miles off Cape Hatteras. It rests on its side, roughly 240 yards (220 meters) from the Bluefields wreck.
Initial sonar surveys in 2014 confirmed the sites. In 2016, divers in two-person submersibles visually inspected both wrecks, noting U-576's dive planes angled upward (suggesting an attempt to surface), wooden deck rotted away, hull and conning tower largely intact, deck gun present (with inscription "Peterle" noted earlier), hatches sealed, and some bow-area hull damage/exposed framing from corrosion or impact.
A 2022 joint NOAA/Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration survey (Valor in the Atlantic expedition, livestreamed May 2022) revisited and documented both wrecks further, highlighting their proximity as a rare victim-aggressor pair from the Battle of the Atlantic. The site shows heavy marine growth, rust patterns, silt-filled interiors, intact propulsion elements (rudders, stern dive planes angled upward, propellers), and overall good preservation relative to many U-boat wrecks, though with significant corrosion in places (e.g., bow hull breaches exposing frames, rotted decking exposing piping). It serves as an artificial reef with fish and other marine life inhabiting it.
The other day i was looking thru my chart application and was noticing wrecks which we not always on the old paper charts. It seems now they have integrated the wreck data on the digital maps. And looking at the wrecks i came across several sunk by u boats off the new jersey and delaware coasts. Areas i sailed many times. There were several dated 1918 and then in 1942. I think they were mostly barges. Also my dad was on the USS haverfield during WWII and i believe they were a sub chaser in the atlantic.
PING
Another U-boat was sunk off one of the Carolinas, battling with Coast Guard cutter Icarus. I think it was U352.
They came up fighting, manning the deck gun. The Coast Guard cutter unloaded on it, and basically prevented it from being able to dive; I believe they actually took it in tow, captured the enigma machine, but the U-boat started to sink and they had to cut it loose.
There used to be a great site called u-boat.net, and it had the location and engagements of every single U-boat from World War I and World War II.
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“sunk by depth charges from two US aircraft”
I never knew aircraft dropped depth charges.