By Mike Hughes
Writer, Dive News Network

During WWII German U-boats infiltrated the waters off the coast of North Carolina on many long-range missions. Most were sent to seek out and destroy ships and interrupt the supply line to Europe, while others were sent over for more clandestine operations. It was a secretive and dangerous time. Today the North Carolina coastal waters still hold those secrets of old but divers now have the pleasure of diving back in time to visit these stealthy war machines.

Out of the nine U-boats mentioned in this article, three remain diveable off the coastline. Of those remaining, one was lost off the coast and presumed to be in deep waters or buried under sand, three inflicted casualties along the coastline, but were then sunk elsewhere, and at least two survived the onslaught of the war, but were scuttled elsewhere rather than surrender the military vessels to the Allies after the death of Hitler and defeat of Germany. The rest inflicted carnage in local waters and then sunk to become popular N.C. wreck dive sites and with seventy years of underwater activity, some of these sites have become popular not only as submerged vessels, but as thriving isolated sea gardens filled with tons of fish and invertebrate life.

U-352
The U-352 is probably the most well known submarine sunk off the coast. The hull is in relatively good shape and the plethora of sea life makes a great backdrop for underwater photos. It rests at 90-110 ft. in waters ranging in temp from 75 to 80 in the summertime. Commander KL Rathke fired 4 torpedoes from this sub at one ship that never hit or detonated. A few days later he fired two more torpedoes with the same effect on what turned out to be the Coast Guard Cutter Icarus.  After five depth charges, the U-352 surfaced to abandon ship and Rathke gave orders to scuttle the already damaged vessel in May of 1942. Dale A Hansen, a diver from Discovery Diving in Beaufort has made a CD with pictures of the U-352, the prisoners taken, video clips of the wreck, and photos and names of many tropical species of fish inhabiting the wreck now. He also has a book at the dive shop about some of the major wrecks in the area including what they looked like, and what the wrecks look like now from a diver’s perspective. Several charter operations frequently run dedicated trips to this site.

U-85
The U-85 near Nags Head and the Bodie Island Lighthouse can have warm water at the surface but can cool down to the 50’s at 100-110 ft. This submarine has had more items removed from it than the U-352. A hatch from the U-85 is displayed at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse museum in Buxton. Two oak boxes with enigma code machine parts were recovered from inside the wreck in 1997. It’s the only VIIB class sub in American waters. It sank three ships before a USS Roper depth charge destroyed it April 14, 1942. The R/V Go Between makes two runs a week out here when weather is favorable.

U-701
The U-701 sank nine ships before a Lockheed Hudson A-29 dropped three depth charges and sank the U-boat July 7, 1942. Commander KL Degen sank the small-armed trawler YP-389 with his 88mm deck gun before it sank. The trawler rests at 300 ft. off North Carolina.  Degen also sank the tanker SS William Rockefeller. The U-701 remained hidden under shifting sands north of Diamond Shoals until discovered in 1989 by Uwe Lovas. His crew kept the site a secret for 15 years. By 2004 the site coordinates became public and looters soon took a heavy toll on the structure. As many as 17 crewmembers escaped the abandoned vessel, but the coast guard picked up only seven, including Degen. The conning tower, the stern, and deck gun have been exposed above the sand for quite some time. The vessel lists on its side by 45 degrees. Amber Jacks and Sand Tiger sharks frequent the wreck. Strong currents may make it impossible to dive this site at certain times; make sure to check the charts before heading out.

U-576
The U-576 fired four torpedoes sinking the motor merchant Bluefields in deep water and damaging two other vessels off the N.C. coastline, before it was depth charged by a US Kingfisher aircraft. It was lost near Cape Hatteras July 15, 1942. The U-576 has never been publicly seen or heard of again although divers still search for it today.

U-158
The U-158 sank a total of 17 ships before being sunk itself near Bermuda by a PBM Mariner June 30, 1942. Among its victims were the Caribe Sea, sunk March 11, 1942, the tanker John D. Gill sunk 25 miles off Cape Fear March 3, 1942 and the Ario sunk near Cape Lookout March 15, 1942. There were many other vessels badly damaged by the U-158 as well.

U-124
The U-124 had an impressive record with 11 patrols and 46 ships sunk. The U-124 was responsible for sinking the W.E. Hutton, the Casandra Louloudis, the tanker E.M. Clark all March 18, 1942 followed by the SS Papoose March 19, 1942 and the SS Naeco March 23, 1942. She was also credited with damaging other ships such as the Acme.

U-402
The U-402 sank in the middle of the Atlantic Oct. 13, 1943. To its credit the U-402 sank the 412 ft. long Russian tanker Ashkhabad April 29, 1942 off Cape Lookout. The tanker came to rest in 55 ft. of water, but had to be blown apart as it was a navigational hazard. Boilers and parts of the bow section remain for divers to explore.

U-552
The U-552 was scuttled May 2, 1945. It added many a ship to the N.C. coastline such as the 435 ft. long American steamer Tamaulipas April 2, 1942, the Bryon D. Benson April 5, 1942, the motor tanker British Splendor April 7, 1942, and the 446 ft. long Atlas April 9, 1942.

U-71
The U-71 was scuttled May 2, 1945. The U-71 sank the 485 ft. long Dixie Arrow near the outer banks May 26, 1942. As you can surmise, 1942 was a deadly year for Allied ships near North Carolina. By the end of 1942, Axis U-boats were more likely to be destroyed by planes than by ships, and because of this fact, U-boat deck guns were no longer installed on newer models; from then on the primary defense of U-boats was to dive and hide. Torpedoes were just as likely to miss or run wild, as they were to detonate as planned. Minefields laid off the N.C coast by U-boats were almost as deadly as the torpedoes themselves. Many ships went down during the war years, and many lives on both sides were lost. The vessel remnants offer divers a chance to see history through the wrecks as well as see the final resting place for many a crew. The prey ships and predator

U-boats have now become reefs for millions of fish and invertebrates.  Knowing the background behind these dive sites makes diving them much more interesting, more thought provoking, and above all, a more personal underwater experience.