Coast Guard to conduct underwater assessment, possible oil removal operations on Coimbra

[george]

The U.S. Coast Guard has contracted Resolve Marine Group to conduct a full assessment of oil remaining on the Coimbra wreck, located approximately 30 miles southeast of Shinnecock, N.Y. If substantial oil still remains, and if feasible, the Coast Guard will work with Resolve Marine Group to remove oil from the wreck in order to reduce pollution risks to the environment.

The operation is scheduled to take place from April 28th to May 30th. The initial evaluation will assess the condition of the tanker and what potential environmental impact still exists. Based on the assessment, possible oil removal operations will take place.

During the operation, boaters are requested to keep a safe distance of 500 yards from the dive operation.

“We have assembled a team including members of the Coast Guard Atlantic Strike Team, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Coast Guard District One Response Advisory Team, Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Coast Guard Headquarters Office of Environmental Management, and Coast Guard Salvage Engineering Response Team to provide consultation for this assessment,” said Capt. Kevin Reed, commander Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound. “This assessment will help determine, and possibly remove any potential environmental threat the tanker poses. Our top priorities are safety of the public and protection of the marine environment.”

The Coimbra was a supply ship owned by Great Britain when the ship was sunk off the coast of Long Island, during World War II by a German U-boat.

 

[wader]

this made me go & look at exactly the Coimbra was all about - always heard of it - but never knew the history of it

Interesting read

 

[BennyV]

this made me go & look at exactly the Coimbra was all about - always heard of it - but never knew the history of it

Interesting read

Good read. I find it insane that u-boats were that close to our shoreline.

 

[wader]

Good read. I find it insane that u-boats were that close to our shoreline.

apparently they were quite active

By the early morning of Jan. 15, U-123 approached New York Harbor. From the bridge, Hardegan could see the lights of Manhattan skyscrapers. “I cannot describe the feeling in words,” he said “but it was unbelievable and beautiful and great. . . We were the first to be here, and for the first time in this war a German soldier looked out on the coast of the USA.

Later that night, U-123’s lookout saw the bright lights of the Coimbra bearing down on the submarine. The British tanker, like the Norness, transported oil to Britain. She made an easy target against the brightly lit coast. U-123 torpedoed the tanker, and within minutes the explosion sent a fireball 650 feet into the sky".

 

[Roccus7]

Can't believe LI boys were this unknowledgeable about U-Boat activity off LI? Did you know a U-boat landed German spies on an Amagansett Beach?

Operation Pastorius

Great book on U-boats off of the East Coast during WWII, "Torpedo Junction", by "October Sky" author Homer Hickam. Mentions the Coimbra and the Operation Pastorius events. When war broke out, the US was very slow to institute blackouts and convoys along the Atlantic Coast. The U-boat captains were picking off ships left and right, calling it the "Second Happy Time" as the European Countries had clamped down on U-boat activity on the other side of the pond.

 

[Avenger]

Knew a guy who was a torpedo mechanic on a U-boat during WWII. He passed away about two years ago. They were in NY harbor late in the war and everybody on the boat got to come up and look through the periscope at the Statue of Liberty. We had it covered,... yeah, sure.