VESSEL INFORMATION
Type: British Armed Trawler
Size: 162'
History: The British government, after being "leased" 50 World War I-era destroyers and 10 Lake Class Coast Guard cutters, sent 24 armed trawlers and their crews to help protect merchant ships from the German U-Boats. The HMS Bedfordshire was under the command of Lieutenant R. B. Davis and had a crew of 36 men. Her patrol area was from Norfolk, Virginia to Cape Lookout. In addition to escorting tankers and freighters, the HMS Bedfordshire also performed lone patrols searching for U-Boats.
Sinking: On the night of May 12, 1942, the U-558 was patrolling offshore of Cape Lookout. Kapitanleutnant Gunter Krech, thus far unable to sink any freighters or tankers during this patrol, took aim on the Bedfordshire and fired a single torpedo, sinking her instantly. The attack had been so swift that no message had been transmitted from the HMS Bedfordshire. For two days, everyone thought she was still on patrol and was observing radio silence. On May 14, 1942, two bodies washed up on the beach of Ocracoke. The bodies were identified as Stanley Craig, telegraphist, and Sub-Lieutenant Thomas Cunningham, both from the HMS Bedfordshire. They are buried with two other crewmembers in a small cemetary on Ocracoke.
DIVE PROFILE
Experience Level: Intermediate
Depth: 105 ft.
Visibility: Generally 40-70 feet
Summer Temperature: 75-80 degrees
Dive Notes: The wreck is in three separate pieces with two of the pieces within 75 feet of each other and the third, 200 feet away. The damage from the torpedo was extensive and the highest part of the wreck is only four feet. There are a lot of I-beams, deck plates, pipes, and pieces of machinery scattered about the sand, as well as six depth charges. Large schools of amberjack and spadefish can be seen swimming around the wreck. Sea bass and grouper are typically present.
Additional Info
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NOAA's report on the HMS Bedfordshire from their 2009 Battle of the Atlantic Expedition