Loss of British Tanker Mirlo Revisited: New Considerations Regarding the Vessel's Loss of the North Carolina Coast during the First World War

Author(s): John C. Bright

Year: 2017

Summary

On 16 August, 1918, British tanker Mirlo was lost near Wimble Shoals, off the North Carolina Outer Banks. Of the vessels 52 crew, only 10 were lost as a result of one of the most dramatic rescues in US Coast Guard history. Despite the well-known story of the rescue operation, the precise cause of the tanker’s demise remains unknown, as does the vessel’s final resting place. Review of historical documents regarding the vessel’s construction and armament provide new details which shed light on the debate over the cause of its sinking: torpedoes from U-117, or a series of mines laid by German U-boats along Wimble shoals. Review of these details may prove crucial clues in locating the historically significant vessel’s remains. 

Cite this Record

Loss of British Tanker Mirlo Revisited: New Considerations Regarding the Vessel's Loss of the North Carolina Coast during the First World War. John C. Bright. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Fort Worth, TX. 2017 ( tDAR id: 435443)

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 426