WW2 German U-Boat Wreck Found in the 'Graveyard of the Atlantic'

Two vessels from the Battle of the Atlantic have been found 30 miles off the coast of North Carolina. German U-Boat 576 and the freighter Bluefields were found in an area known as the 'Graveyard of the Atlantic' by a team of researchers led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Sonar image of the U-576 wreck

The NOAA said the finds will provide insight into 'a relatively little-known chapter in American history.' 

On July 15th 1942 the Nicaraguan flagged freighter Bluefields was part of convoy KS-520 escorted by the U.S. Navy. U-576 sank the ship before being attacked by Kingfisher aircraft and sunk itself. U-576 and Bluefields went down within minutes of each other and came to rest on the seabed less than 240 yards apart.

U-576 navigates choppy waters in this image

The wrecks will be protected under international law and the wreck site is now a war grave for the crew of the U-Boat. The wrecks were found as part of a programme to survey and document vessels lost during the Second World War off the North Carolina coast.

The crew of U-576

The crew of U-576