German WWII U-Boat Found Near North Carolina Coast (Video)

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a German U-boat that was used in battle during World War II has been discovered off the coast of North Carolina.

It was found in an area known as ‘The Graveyeard of the Atlantic’ which is a site of numerous shipwrecks.

Along with the Nazi submarine, researchers also found a merchant tanker called Bluefields, a Nicaraguan ship that was part of a convoy from the United States traveling from Virginia to the Florida Keys in July of 1942.

Joe Hoyt from NOAA is quoted as saying: “We have discovered an important battle site that is part of the Battle of the Atlantic. These two ships rest only a few hundred yards apart and together help us interpret and share their forgotten stories.”

Bluefields, and the German U-576 submarine were discovered by a high resolution sonar imaging system. Historical records show that before the U-576 was taken out by enemy fire, the submarine was damaged and on its way back to Germany following an unsuccessful mission.

En route back to Germany, the U-boat came across the US convoy and decided to engage in battle.

The submarine managed to sink the Bluefields, and severely damage two other ships before it was sank by United States Navy aircraft bombs and gunfire from a merchant ship.