The Second Battle of the Atlantic (1939 and 1945): a Context for Understanding the Archaeological Remains of a Battleground at Sea

Summary

The Second Battle of the Atlantic spanned from 1939 to 1945 and ranged from the North Cape of Norway to the Cape of Good Hope. In 1942, the battle arrived off North America’s Atlantic coast and U-boats took a heavy toll on allied shipping. War at sea leaves no traces at the surface, but the seabed off the Outer Banks of North Carolina contains the wrecks of the battle’s hunted and hunters. Many of these wrecks lie at depths within the range of sport divers, and in this time of limited resources, properly trained avocational divers can conduct measured surveys of significant Battle of the Atlantic wrecks. This presentation will examine these wrecks in the maritime archaeological context and provide the background for the presentations in this symposium, including the recent survey of the wreck of the Soviet oil tanker Ashkabad that was attacked off Cape Lookout by the U-402 in April 1942.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014   •
• Community Archaeology in the 21st Century: New Partnerships in Battle of the Atlantic Research

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-20,01