![]() "But few people realize how close the war actually came to America's shores. "Most people associate the Battle of the Atlantic with the cold, icy waters of the North Atlantic," Alberg said in a statement. The discovery of the two ships holds significance beyond the wrecks alone, said David Alberg, the superintendent of NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. As such, they are under special protection and should, if possible, remain at their site and location to allow the dead to rest in peace." "It is international custom to view the wreckage of land, sea and air vehicles assumed or presumed to hold the remains of fallen soldiers as war graves. "The Federal Republic of Germany is not interested in a recovery of the remnants of the U-576 and will not participate in any such project," said the German Foreign Office in a statement. As such, it will be protected under international law. The site is now considered a war grave for the 45-member crew of the U-boat. Sonar images show both ships in recognizable condition, with the U-576's distinctive conning tower still intact. The two wrecks sit only 240 yards (219 meters) apart. ![]() In August 2014, a survey of two of these sites definitively identified the U-576 and the Bluefields. Ghostly shapes emerged, seven of which held great promise as shipwreck sites. Using sonar and other remote-sensing technology, researchers scoured the seafloor about 30 miles (48 kilometers) off the coast of North Carolina beginning in 2013. The historical record marked the location of this battle, but the exact spots where the shipwrecks had landed were lost. Navy escort ships was swift, and two depth charges quickly sank the U-boat. However, the U-576 crew was not so lucky. The Bluefields went down in minutes - though all of the crewmembers onboard survived. that day, the U-576 fired four torpedoes, one of which hit the Bluefields, which was sailing under a Nicaraguan flag, according to NOAA. The U-576 had been damaged and was headed back to Germany, but its captain could not resist the chance to attack the merchant convoy when it came into the U-boat's sights on July 15.Īround 4:15 p.m. Their course set them, unknowingly, on an intercept path with the German U-boat U-576 off the coast of North Carolina. Coast Guard cutters and Navy ships left port in Virginia, headed for Key West, Florida. ![]() On July 14, 1942, a convoy of merchant ships guarded by U.S. ![]() Naval forces after attacking a guarded merchant convoy on July 15, 1942. A sonar image of the German U-boat U-576, which was sent to the bottom of the Atlantic by U.S.
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