Wreck of SS Cornwallis, Sunk by Nazi Submarine, Discovered Off Maine Coast
A German submarine covertly delivered two Nazi spies to the Maine coast on November 29, 1944, during World War II. Just four days later, the same U-boat attacked the SS Cornwallis, a 400-foot Canadian steamship, which sank in under ten minutes after being struck by a torpedo. Of the 48 crew members aboard, only five survived the incident.
Recently, the wreckage of the Cornwallis was located by the Nomad Exploration Team, which announced the discovery after years of searching. The team faced challenges such as cold water and strong currents while conducting dives to confirm the identity of the wreck, which lies nearly 400 feet below the surface.
The Cornwallis, launched in 1921, was originally named Canadian Transporter and was later renamed after being transferred to Canadian National Steamships. It had previously survived an attack by a German submarine in 1942 but was ultimately sunk while carrying a cargo of sugar and molasses from Barbados to St. John, New Brunswick.
Final Moments of the Cornwallis
On December 3, 1944, the U-1230, commanded by Hans Hilbig, fired a torpedo at the Cornwallis, which struck near the bow, leading to the ship's rapid sinking. Only six crew members managed to reach life rafts, with one succumbing to hypothermia. The survivors were rescued by fishing boats and taken to a U.S. Navy ship.
Clearance Granted
The sinking of the Cornwallis gained notoriety due to its connection to the U-boat's earlier mission of landing two German agents, Erich Gimpel and William Colepaugh, in Hancock, Maine. The agents were tasked with gathering intelligence in the U.S. and managed to travel undetected to New York City before being apprehended by the FBI.
The discovery of the Cornwallis wreck serves as a reminder of the historical events that unfolded along the Maine coast during the war. The Nomad Exploration Team expressed that finding the wreck was a culmination of years of effort and brings renewed attention to this largely forgotten tragedy.
