Wreck Dive Dixie Arrow, Cape Hatteras, North Carolina

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World War II-era Dixie Arrow is one of the most exceptional dive-able shipwrecks within the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Sunk by a U-boat in 1942, the 468-foot oil tanker now rests in 90 feet (27 m) of water, 15 miles (24 km) south of the Hatteras Inlet. Built in 1921, Dixie Arrow spent two decades ferrying oil along the North Atlantic coast of the United States, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific Coast. As World War II neared American shores, Dixie Arrow transported petroleum through areas vulnerable to German U-boats. On March 26, 1942, Dixie Arrow became a casualty of the Battle of the Atlantic. Lurking at dawn near the Diamond Shoals Light Buoy, the German submarine U-71 fired two torpedoes, taking the Dixie Arrow crew by surprise. Flames engulfed the ship in less than a minute. Of the 33-man crew, only 22 survived. Seventy-five years later, Dixie Arrow remains mostly intact, making for a remarkable dive site. The ship rests upright on its keel. Portions of the bow rise 30 feet (9 m) from the sea floor. At amidships, Dixie Arrow’s remains have largely fallen inside the hull. The tanker’s keel is visible in areas where the rest of the hull components are missing. At the ship’s stern, divers can still see the boilers and the triple-expansion steam engine, the wreck’s most impressive feature. On both sides of the engine, scattered pipes, valves, and fittings remain. Interested divers can also try to spot the partially-buried propeller.

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