Dark Knights and Dimout Lights : Archaeological Analysis of Two World War II Merchant Vessels in the Gulf of Mexico

Summary

Two merchant ships, S.S. R.W. Gallagher and S.S. Cities Service Toledo, were sunk by German U-Boats in the Gulf of Mexico in 1942. They were investigated for their historical significance under a project led by BOEM/BSEE archaeologists in 2010. These two shipwreck sites provide an opportunity to analyze maritime casualties within the broader framework of battlefield archaeology. Furthermore, they provide examples of capsizing events that help explain why ships end up inverted on the sea floor during sinking events. Through the dynamic research associated with identifying these ships, their history, and their context, 3D modeling is utilized in an attempt to exhibit the current state of remote-sensing and 3D modeling software. These capabilities allow archaeologists to take a static archaeological site and present it in a way that will reveal more to the public through the growing lens of graphical interpretation and interest in World War II.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014   •
• Case Studies in Maritime Archaeology

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-5,03