Continued from October 16th.
During the battle with the U-701, the YP-389 used its 30 caliber machine guns and depth charges. Unfortunately, the 3-inch deck gun was inoperative during the fight.The German submarine returned fire with its 20 mm flak guns and 88 mm deck gun.
YP stands for Yard Patrol boats. It was built in 1941 as the fishing trawler Cohasset and purchased by the Navy for use off the US coast.
It was found 20 miles off Cape Hatteras. Six sailors, including Fireman 3rd class Wilson Burnette Cole, of Great Falls, Montana, died in the fight. His widow was offered $2,000 in insurance money after his death and she offered to turn it over to the Navy to build a boat in his honor. She was told they couldn't accept it, but that she should buy war bonds.
The wreck sits upright.
The expedition that found it lasted three weeks and also surveyed the HMT Bedfordshire, a converted British fishing trawler sunk by a torpedo from the U-588 May 12, 1942. All 37 British and Canadian crew were killed and four washed ashore and are buried at the British Cemetery on Ocracoke Island, considered a war graves site and protected by US and International Law.
The wrecks of three German U-boats were also examined.
From Wikipedia and Sept. 10th Great Falls (Mt) Tribune.
It Is About Time This Little-Known Part of the War becomes Known. --Cooter
Showing posts with label YP-389. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YP-389. Show all posts
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
YP-389 Located
From the September 14th Richmond (Va) Times-Dispatch.
Last month, divers explored the wreck of the converted trawler YP-389 (Yard Patrol Boat) after it was found about 18 miles off Hatteras Inlet.
The Battle of the Atlantic was particularly intense off the shores of North Carolina. Some 137 Allied, German and merchant ships were sunk and the locations of only about 40 are known.
It was originally detected in the 1970s during the search for the USS Monitor. Videos taken of the 102-foot wreck were compared with pictures of the vessel for confirmation. It lies 325 feet deep.
Most Americans are not even aware of the struggle that took place off the east coast of the United States.
More to Come. --Cooter
Last month, divers explored the wreck of the converted trawler YP-389 (Yard Patrol Boat) after it was found about 18 miles off Hatteras Inlet.
The Battle of the Atlantic was particularly intense off the shores of North Carolina. Some 137 Allied, German and merchant ships were sunk and the locations of only about 40 are known.
It was originally detected in the 1970s during the search for the USS Monitor. Videos taken of the 102-foot wreck were compared with pictures of the vessel for confirmation. It lies 325 feet deep.
Most Americans are not even aware of the struggle that took place off the east coast of the United States.
More to Come. --Cooter
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