Battle of the Atlantic: Archaeology of an Underwater WWII Battlefield

Mission Logs

Follow along as participants in the cruise provide updates and reflections on their experiences, the science, the technology, and other elements of the expedition.

  • Summary

    September 10, 2016  |  By Joe Hoyt

    Summary

    We have now come to the end of a long and fruitful expedition. Trying new approaches and systems integrations while dodging tropical depressions and hurricanes presented some significant hurdles, all of which were navigated successfully.

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  • Wonders of the Deep Sea: A Submersible Pilot’s Perspective

    September 9, 2016  |  By Randy Holt

    September 9: Wonders of the Deep Sea: A Submersible Pilot’s Perspective

    The role of a Chief Submersible Pilot is to ensure the safety and reliability of our two Triton submersibles, perform all submersible maintenance, and help integrate the science equipment used for each mission.

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  • The Improbable Story of Birth Amidst the Battle of the Atlantic

    September 8, 2016  |  By Debi Blaney

    September 8: The Improbable Story of Birth Amidst the Battle of the Atlantic

    On August 24th, the Battle of the Atlantic expedition welcomed Joe Mohorovic as a VIP guest onboard the R/V Baseline Explorer. Mohorovic’s connection to the Battle of the Atlantic is a personal and very unusual one.

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  • Biology of Shipwrecks from the Battle of the Atlantic

    September 7, 2016  |  By Chris Taylor

    September 7: Biology of Shipwrecks from the Battle of the Atlantic

    Off the coast of North Carolina, thousands of shipwrecks speckle the seascape. These shipwrecks create reefs for fishes that our coastal fishing and diving communities depend on.

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  • The Adventurous Life of Louis Segal

    September 6, 2016  |  By Debi Blaney

    September 6: The Adventurous Life of Louis Segal

    WWII veteran Louis Segal, at the tender age of 93, is undeterred as he makes the precarious step from the small transport boat onto the R/V Baseline Explorer. Everyone on the expedition team claps and cheers, and Segal has a big grin on his face.

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  • U-576: Life and Death On a World War II German U-boat

    September 4, 2016  |  By Debi Blaney

    September 4: U-576: Life and Death On A WWII German U-Boat

    The German Navy was a force to be reckoned with during World War II. German submarines – or unterwasser boats (U-boats) – were on a mission to destroy merchant vessels carrying supplies to allied forces in order to hinder their war efforts.

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  • A Day in the Life of A Dive Safety Officer

    September 3, 2016  |  By Meredith Tanguay

    September 2: Human Connections: The Battle of the Atlantic Expedition is Telling a Shared Story

    As a Dive Safety Officer (DSO) for the Global Underwater Explorers (GUE) Dive Team aboard R/V Baseline Explorer, Meredith's role is to manage logistics for the six-person dive team.

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  • Human Connections: The Battle of the Atlantic Expedition is Telling a Shared Story

    September 2, 2016  |  By Brandi Carrier

    September 2: Human Connections: The Battle of the Atlantic Expedition is Telling a Shared Story

    For many reasons, the Battle of the Atlantic expedition is a project of profound importance. It provides an opportunity to explore approaches to battlefield archaeology in a maritime environment and across a six-month time span.

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  • Strength in Numbers: the Power of Collaboration

    September 1, 2016  |  By Todd Kincaid

    September 1: Strength in Numbers: the Power of Collaboration

    In August 2016, Global Underwater Explorers and GlobalSubDive teamed with NOAA, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and the University of North Carolina Coastal Studies Institute to explore and document a series of shipwrecks off the coast of North Carolina.

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  • Expedition Update: Divers In The Water

    August 31, 2016  |  By Todd Kincaid

    August 31: Expedition Update: Divers In The Water

    Today, two 2-person teams of volunteer GUE divers will attempt to dive the wreck of the YP-389 while R/V Baseline Explorer and the rest of the team remain safely in port 100 miles to the south. The wreck lies in 320 feet of water 32 miles off shore from the Ocracoke, NC inlet.

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  • Back In Time With Lasers of the Future

    August 30, 2016  |  By Jason Gillham

    August 30: Back In Time With Lasers Of The Future

    Questions from the past that remain unanswered to this day may soon be answered with futuristic technology. The underwater laser scanner provided by 2G Robotics for the Battle of the Atlantic expedition is set to create a digital 3D scan of the sunken German submarine U-576.

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  • Severe Weather Temporarily Suspends Dive Operations

    August 29, 2016  |  By Debi Blaney

    August 29: Severe Weather Temporarily Suspends Dive Operations

    Storms have battered the coast of the Outer Banks, North Carolina, for hundreds of years, and today is no exception. After spending a couple of days setting up survey gear and several days collecting data, the expedition research team had to abruptly suspended dive operations due to the high seas and strong winds for the time being.

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  • A Day in the Life of a Submersible Surface Officer

    August 28, 2016  |  By Shane Zigler

    August 28: A Day in the Life of a Submersible Surface Officer

    I had the job of navigating the submersible Nemo, manned with submersible pilot Robert Carmichael and expedition lead Joe Hoyt, as they became the first men in history to witness the final resting place of the German U-boat U-576 first-hand.

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  • Aboard the R/V Baseline Explorer

    August 27, 2016  |  By Reed Bohne

    August 27: Aboard the R/V Baseline Explorer

    Calm seas greeted us on August 25, as we prepared to cruise offshore the Outer Banks and back in time. This expedition to the naval battlefields of World War II has the emotional impact of walking the beach of Normandy.

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  • Remembering the Battle of the Atlantic

    August 26, 2016  |  By David W. Alberg

    August 27: Aboard the R/V Baseline Explorer

    In 1975, our country established the first National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of North Carolina. It was created to protect the shipwreck of the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor, lost in a storm December 31, 1862, along with 16 of her crew.

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  • Battle of the Atlantic Expedition Kick-off

    August 25, 2016  |  By Willie Hoffman

    August 25: Battle of the Atlantic Expedition Kick-Off

    The project kicked off with the team convening in Morehead City, North Carolina, to prepare for the expedition and to load all of the equipment needed to investigate the site of the U-576 and its victim the Bluefields onto the Baseline Explorer research vessel.

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