German World War II sub discovered off Nantucket

German crewmen abandon the German submarine U-550 in April 1944 after being depth-charged by the American destroyer Joyce. Photo Credit:AP

In April 1944, a German submarine prowling the waters off Nantucket torpedoed an American tanker caught straggling behind its convoy. The U-boat took cover beneath the sinking ship to avoid detection, but the flagship USS Joyce closed in and delivered a punishing depth charge attack that forced the damaged vessel to the surface.

Under fierce attack, U-550 sank stern first. There it lay, its final resting place an enduring mystery for nearly 70 years.

But earlier this week, after years of research and days of painstaking searches of the ocean floor, a crew discovered the elusive craft about 70 miles south of Nantucket. Crew members said the submarine was among the last undiscovered German warships along the eastern seaboard, where it once attacked merchant ships and forced blackouts in coastal cities.

“They’ve looked for it for over 20 years,” said Joe Mazraani, a shipwreck diver from New Jersey. “It’s another World War II mystery solved.”

The seven-person crew announced the finding Friday, and said they would be returning to document the wreck site.

Over two voyages, the seven-man crew searched 100 square miles of ocean, using sonar to survey the ocean depths. Traveling at five knots, the ship scanned the vast expanse for signs of the sunken vessel, a tedious process crew members likened to “mowing the lawn.”

Just when it looked as if the search would end in vain, the downed ship came into view. A second scan confirmed the finding, setting off a wild celebration at sea.

“It was jubilation,” Mazraani said. “We were jumping up and down, giving each other high-fives. It was awesome.”

Mazraani dove down to confirm the discovery with pictures. Sonar images provided by the crew show the 250-foot submarine sitting upright and tilted to the starboard side. The images and the general location match that of the sunken German ship.

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