Wreck Conservation
In June 2024 I was fortunate to participate in another successful week of technical diving on the SS Atlas with the Battle of the Atlantic Research and Expedition Group (BAREG). This massive wreck is one of BAREGs
They are a phenomenal gang of highly skilled technical divers with whom I’ve been fortunate to dive. BAREG is dedicated to accurately documenting Battle of the Atlantic shipwreck sites, and surveying wrecks like the SS Atlas is a vital part of its charter and what drives its dedicated members.
The wreck is home to myriad sea life, including many sand tiger sharks, also called grey nurse sharks, and spotted ragged-tooth sharks who patrol the wreck.
Conservation Through Advanced Technical Diving
The SS Atlas wreck site is approximately two and half hours off shore and rests 125 feet below the surface. While advanced recreational divers can reach the wreck, it takes special training and equipment to remain on site long enough to record data.
That’s were the BAREG tec divers come in. The specialized training each member has undergone allows for extended work cycles on the wreck, with divers often carrying three tanks with them on the dives.
The two primary tanks provide enriched air, often called Nitrox, and allow divers to stay at depth longer while minimizing nitrogen uptake. As my fellow divers will recall, nitrogen is the gas that gives us the bends if we fail to properly decompress on the way up.
The BAREG dive team also brings third, and some times a fourth tank, to ensure complete decompression prior to surfacing. The deco gas as its called is often filled with as much as 80 percent oxygen, significantly speeding the deco process.
U-boat Torpedoes
On 9 April 1942, the SS Atlas was sailing from Texas to New Jersey, loaded with over 84,000 barrels of gasoline, when it was attacked by the U-552, a German Type VIIC U-boat nicknamed the Roter Teufel (“Red Devil”) after her mascot of a grinning devil, painted on the conning tower.
The U-552 fired two torpedoes. The first disabled the vessel but gave the crew a chance to escape—the second set the SS Atlas ablaze, which cost the lives of two sailors. The SS Atlas is just one of the many victims of German U-boats in World War II.
Storm Season
When working on wrecks off the North Carolina coast, offshore weather is always challenging. Rough seas, long transit times, and afternoon thunderstorms can all impact technical diving operations. While last year brought afternoon thunderstorms and lightning, we only had heavy wave action to worry about this year.
Over the years, BAREG has surveyed several wrecks off North Carolina. Data collected by BAREG divers has been used by NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to document the wrecks’ conditions and prepare site maps and dive slates.
Technical Diving to Map Wrecks
One of the primary objectives for BAREG on the SS Atlas wreck is to put together a comprehensive picture of the site. The surveys not only create a visual map of the site, but also works to identify the many components that make up the structure and its surrounding debris field.
Below are a couple of example of how BAREG works with NOAA to document and conserve our maritime history.
