Offshore Wrecks

[Pangaroo]

The USS Turner Sank in January 1944. The ship was preparing to unload it's munitions and bring it ashore . The crew wasn't properly trained to disarm the munitions and they blew up and killed about 125 men . The Turner was anchored at the Mouth of Gravesend Bay at the Tin Can Grounds. The Coast Guard used a Helicopter for the first time to rescue survivors. The Explosion was heard all over NYC, my father was 10 years old at the time and heard it inside his Bay Ridge Brooklyn Home. The Turner had to anchor outside NY Harbor ( where they were anchored was protected by a Submarine Net so it wasn't sunk by a U Boat) because it was so crowded in the harbor. At Peak during WW 2 , there were 600 ships inside the harbor. You drive over the Verrazano Bridge today you see a few ships here and there. 600 Ships !

 

[Snapprhead27]

You guys bring up some really interesting and cool facts. Keep them coming!!

 

[captmike28]

Agreed, much credit goes to those guys, and some others. Credit also should go to the the various dive clubs that have been able to identify these wrecks. And continue to this day to work on the identities.

Most of the information I have written about is all public knowledge. Some I know from personal experience, some from friends, some from legend, and some from the very large collection of information available online, and in books. One such book I would recommend for winter reading is “Wreck Valley III” by Captain Dan Berg.

A lifelong friend of mine is a hard-core recreational wreck diver and has been diving with and worked as a mate for both Dan Berg and another famous dive Captain, Steve Belinda of the Wahoo.

At my friend's son's wedding I was fortunate enough to be seated at the same table as these 2 well known dive experts. Very interesting conversations!