New Jersey Scuba Diving

Type:

shipwreck, tanker, Panama

Name:

In Greek mythology, Persephone, the beautiful daughter of Zeus and Demeter, was abducted by Hades, the god of the underworld. Eventually, an agreement was reached wherein Persephone would spend part of the year with Hades in the underworld, and the rest with her parents in Olympus, resulting in the seasons: when she is away, her grieving mother, the earth goddess, ignores her duties and the earth becomes barren - winter.

Built:

1926, Germany

Specs:

( 468 x 63 ft ) 8426 gross tons, 37 crew

Sunk:

Monday May 25, 1942
torpedoed by U-593 - 9 casualties

Depth:

55 ft

Completed in May 1925 for Baltisch-Amerikanische Petroleum Import GmbH, Danzig. 1935 transferred to Panama Transport Co, Panama.

At 20:53 hours on 25 May 1942, the Persephone sailing in an unknown convoy from Aruba to New York was torpedoed by U-593 off Barnegat Light and sank later in only eight fathoms of water in 46°15N / 74°02W after breaking in two. The bow section was salvaged and towed to New York, where 21.000 barrels of oil were saved by barges. Her midship house was even removed intact and placed on the tanker Livingston Roe. The stern section was later blown up by the US Coast Guard after passing ships collided with it more than once.

Cargo 80.000 barrels of crude oil

The bow of the Persephone was broken off and towed to New York by salvagers. 21,000 barrels of oil were saved, and her mid-ship house was removed intact and placed on the tanker Livingston Roe. The rest of the wreck was blown up by the Coast Guard after being struck more than once by passing vessels.

Only a debris field of overlapping hull plates remains, no longer ship-like. Many of the plates are twisted into fantastic shapes that would undoubtedly fetch a high price on the modern art market if they were above water.