This wreck is reported in the NOAA AWOIS database, record 9003, as Unknown Wooden wreck and Dangerous Wreck. The AWOIS entry, dated 8/2/94, reads: “Divers examined what had been identified as a "dangerous submerged wreck." Located wooden vessel remains consisting of "ribs, keel and rudder post" measured 90 to 120 feet long and 18 feet wide. Sandy bottom. Wood construction, oriented ne-sw. Evaluator recommends charting as surveyed”. The initials SJV are included under the AWOIS entry. GPS Quality is listed as high.

No MMS survey currently exists that covers the reported shipwreck site. The wreck condition is listed as 2 (partially intact 25-50%) and exposure is listed as 2 (partially buried by sediment <50%). Seafloor sediments are reported as sand and the water depth is reported as 23 feet.

The shipwreck in South Pelto Area is centered approximately 9 nautical miles SSE of Isles Dernieres, in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. The shipwreck is located approximately 7.8 miles south of the Shipping Channel between Isles Dernieres and Timbalier Island that designates the entrance into Terrebonne Bay.

This portion of South Pelto Area is not in the immediate vicinity of the entrance to any major historic shipping ports or geomorphologic features that would increase the shipwreck potential for the blocks. Port Fourchon lies to the northeast of the surveyed area, but Fourchon, like much of the area, rose to prominence with the coming of offshore drilling, reducing the probability of related historic shipwrecks in the area. This area has been hit by numerous storms and hurricanes, most recently by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 and Hurricane Gustave in 2008. For this reason, wrecks from all representative time periods could potentially exist in the area, but the data set will be heavily weighted towards modern vessels associated with the offshore oil and gas industry.

Known shipwrecks in the vicinity are primarily modern vessels probably related to the oil & gas and fishing industries, although some nearby wrecks may be historically significant. Of these vessels, none are reported as wooden ships. Vessels such as the Pop Eye, Jerry, Miss Four Hundred, Allegro, Carl Tide, H.G. Newberry, Sargent, Mellow Max, and L&L could have been built of wood, although most if not all appear to be propelled with modern running gear. Of these, the Sargent is the only wreck with available dimensions that fit within the general reported dimensions of the unidentified wooden wreck.

This shipwreck was originally identified through a geophysical lease survey conducted by John E. Chance and Associates performed in 1989 (MMS Report G-9619). The resulting interpretation and report were apparently performed by Marine Archaeologist Robert J. Floyd. However, no copy of this report or the maps were available.

The wreck was subsequently verified through a geophysical lease survey performed by Cochrane Technologies, Inc. in 1996 (Cochrane 1996). The resulting interpretation and report were performed by contract geophysicist S. Dean El Darragi and contract Archaeologist Allen Saltus, Jr. The Cochrane (1996) report reads, “The sonar image suggests that the structure is about 450 feet long and some sixty to seventy-five feet wide. Deck rail and other deck features appear to be present.”

“All geophysical equipment display data suggest that a ferrous structure at least 450 feet long, 75 wide 28 feet high lies in the block. This information along with the historical data recording the loss of two vessels in the two blocks to the south of this study area, the R.W. Gallagher and the Heredia suggest that this may be a World War II battle ground. Both of these vessels were sunk in 1942 by enemy action, German submarine warfare. Lives were lost in association with both losses.”

The MMS database entry for the shipwreck reads:
“Vessel sunk by 2 torpedoes from German submarine U-67 about 2 miles north of ship shoal wreck buoy while en route from Baytown, TX, to Port Everglades, Florida. 12 lives lost. Garrison et al. (1989) have entered vessel twice in their list, as no. 703 and 704. Side scan images from two surveys show vessel remains on bottom, appear as one piece. Approx. 400 to 410 feet long and 80 feet wide and rise 15 feet or so off bottom. Heredia was sunk by three torpedoes from German sub. U-506 with loss of 35 persons while enroute from Guatemala to New Orleans. Original position given as: lat 28 deg, 53 min north; long 91 deg, 3 min west. Avery Munson (personal communication 1/2001) says that this is actually the vessel "R.W. Gallagher" and not the "Heredia." Munson dove on wreck and says it is bottom up and has a single screw. *Tentatively Id'd as Gallagher. Misidentified as Heredia. Identified under two reports.

As stated in the above narrative, the vessel was originally identified as the Heredia based on the 1989 survey. Later, Avery Munson (personal communication to MMS 2001) through diver investigation determined that this was in fact the R.W. Gallagher.

NOAA AWOIS (record 248) database reports the R.W. Gallagher (1.8 Miles SSE of the shipwreck). NOAA reports that GPS quality is low. The database indicates that the wreck was located in 1950, but the source is unknown and positioning accuracy is listed at 1-mile.

The NOAA AWOIS database (record 2733) also has another record located approximately 200 feet SSW of the shipwreck. This record states, “CL1162/82-Telecon from R. Harrison, Minerals Management Service; Wreck located at Pos. 28-33-57.31N, 90-58-54.41W. Raydist control, about 500 ft. L, 110-120 ft. W. 50 ft. clearance over mast. Side scan record poor quality. USCG to send divers to identify.”

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, R.W. Gallagher
According to the MMS database, the R.W. Gallagher was a 7,989 gross ton, two masted, steam propelled tanker. It measured 413 feet in length, 64 feet in width, with a draft of 29.2 feet. Although the tonnage and vessel history listed in the MMS database appear to be accurate, the dimensions appear to be wrong and it is not clear where they were obtained from.

According to Ship’s of the Esso Fleet in World War II, published by Standard Oil Company (1946:356-359), the R.W. Gallagher was 463 feet in length with a moulded breadth of 64 feet, and a depth moulded of 34 feet, 10 inches. The vessel had a single screw powered by a 4,000 horsepower steam engine. The vessel was built in 1938 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Ltd. at Sparrows Point, Maryland.

MVUS (1943) reports that the vessel had a gross tonnage of 7,989 and a net tonnage of 4,738. It is listed at 445.4 feet in length, 64.2 feet in breadth, with a depth of 35.2 feet. The date of loss is listed as July 11, 1942 at Lat. 28°32’ N Long. 90°59’W.


R.W. Gallagher (Unknown source).

On July 13, 1942 the vessel was en-route to Port Everglades, Florida from Baytown, Texas carrying 80,855 barrels of Esso bunker fuel. The vessel carried a crew of 40 with 12 U.S. Navy gunners (Standard Oil Company 1946:356).

According to the Navy Summary of Statements by Survivors (entered by E.D. Henderson, Ensign, U.S. Naval Reserves):
“1. The “R.W. GALLAGHER” was torpedoed without warning at 0140 EWT on July 13, 1942, at 28°32’ N - 90°50’ W, while enroute from Galveston via Baytown, Texas, to Key West Anchorage, Point Everglades, Florida, with 83,000 barrels of bunker fuel in all except one or tow wing tanks; draft: 25’ 6” aft, 29’ forward. The ship listed 30° starboard, then capsized and when last seen was a mass of flames; but when a Coast Guard Cutter returned to the scene at 0800, same date, the ship could not be seen and is presumed to have sunk 4 miles SW of position when attached.

2. The tanker was on a course 113° true; speed, 12 knots; 10 fathoms of water; not zigzagging; radio silent; seven lookouts; one on forecastle head, three on bridge, two aft, one forward. The weather was clear; dark night with stars of only medium brilliancy; smooth sea, visibility good; wind SE, force two; no moonlight; no ships in sight.

3. Two torpedoes hit in rapid succession, the first at waterline on starboard side in No. 3 cargo tank just forward of engine room, also on starboard at an unknown depth. The explosion buckled the ladders amidships and folded the starboard wing of the bridge inwards and started fire amidships which quickly spread, enveloping the whole ship and surrounding water. The ship immediately listed 30° starboard, then capsized. Engines were stopped and radio destroyed- no distress signals could be sent. The main fires were started by the first torpedo, but the Captain believes that the explosion of the degaussing equipment, which sent red hot wires flying around, added to the fires. Confidentials went down with the ship.
4. The ship’s complement was 52; 44 survived and 8 are missing and believed lost. The survivors jumped overboard, escaped the flames in the water and were picked up by the Coast Guard Cutter “BOUTWELL” which was 6 miles from the position of attack at the time of sinking.

5. The sub was newly painted pearl grey, with a straight oval front conning tower upon which was painted in white – “U-28”.

6. The Captain believes the sub was surfaced when the torpedoes were fired.”

Despite the eyewitness account that identified the U-boat that sank the R.W. Gallagher as U-28, Wiggens (1995:98-106) reports that the R.W. Gallagher was sunk by U-67 under the direction of Kapitänleutnant Günther Müller-Stockheim. On July 13, U-67 was near Trinity Shoal where it attacked the R.W. Gallagher with two (2) torpedoes, causing the “bridge and front mast to burn immediately”. The vessel listed to starboard as the crew launched the lifeboats. The U-boat crew observed that R.W. Gallagher was “heavily armed with four (4) anti-aircraft weapons, machine guns, ack-ack[1] stands, and one (1) cannon.”

SITE DESCRIPTION
Dimensions for the shipwreck based on the sonar data are listed as “at least” 450 feet in length, 75 wide, and 28 feet above the seafloor (Cochrane 1996).

Munson dived on the vessel, and in a personal communication to the MMS, reports that the wreck is bottom up with a single screw.

Information archived by the Navy includes a document (Serial No. 19284) dated 1/18/1944 from Paul W. Kraemer, Lieutenant, U.S. Naval Reserves. This document titled, “R.W. Gallagher (Tk), Wreck No. 628, Determination of depth of water above the wreck”, reports that the shipwreck site was identified in 90 feet of water. Significant oil slicks were present for several hundred yards north of the Wreck Buoy. Divers investigated the wreck in order to attach marker buoys. They determined that the wreck was “turned over on her beam ends and well buried in the soft bottom”. Soundings were then performed to verify that at least 50-feet of clearance was available for navigation over the wreck. It was determined that a minimum of 59-feet of clearance was present.

Literature references identified a number of wrecks within 15-miles the wreck in Ship Shoal Area. Of these, the R.W. Gallagher, Heredia, and Hamlet all have similar dimensions and are similar vessel types that were all torpedoed in this portion of the Ship Shoal Area. The identify of each wreck has been provided to the MMS by Avery Munson of New Iberia, LA who apparently has dived on each wreck site. No maps, dimensions, or other materials are currently available to confirm or dispute Munson’s identifications.

The wreck located in Ship Shoal Area was identified through a geophysical survey conducted by the Louisiana State University Coastal Studies Institute in partnership with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Department. The shipwreck was subsequently reported to the MMS and MMS Archaeologists identified it as the Heredia. The LSU (Wilson et. al. 2004:18-19) report reads:
“We located one uncharted wreck within the SSARPA. The object is approximately 100m in length and 25m in breadth. The location of this wreck was not indicated on the RNCs or on the updated Electronic Navigation Charts (ENCs). Conversations with MMS archaeologists indicated that this wreck may be the US “Heredia”, a steam freighter that was sunk on 19 May 1942 by a German U-Boat. MMS did not previously have a sidescan image or accurate location on this vessel. Other sources have indicated that this may not be the Heredia.”

The MMS database reports:
“AWOIS reports a wreck about 200 feet southwest of this location (LR4).Not positively ID'ed by MMS. 4732-ton freighter. Yr. Blt. 1908. War loss 5-19-1942. United Fruit Company. UK flag, 1914 transferred to US flag, 1933 chartered to States SS Co renamed General Pershing, 1937 returned to UFC, reverted to Heredia, 1942 torpedoed and sunk.”

The MMS database also incorrectly lists the published source for this site as Cochrane 1996 and Chance 1990. This is apparently a remnant from the previous belief that the vessel was the Heredia. In addition, the information about the AWOIS wreck also appears to be a remnant of the vessel in that was previously identified as the Heredia.

In 1989 a shipwreck was discovered through a J.E. Chance survey and identified as the Heredia. Further investigations have refuted this, and based on Avery Munson’s communications with the MMS, the original published positions of the wrecks, as well as the dimensions obtained from sonar data, it appears more probable that this wreck is the Heredia.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, Heredia
According to the MVUS, the Heredia was a 4,732 gross ton, steam screw propelled passenger ship. It measured 378.8 feet in length, 49.8 feet in breadth, with a draft of 29.6 feet. It was built in 1908 in Belfast, Ireland. At some point, the vessel was fitted for burning oil as fuel with a 3,650 horsepower engine and equipped with a radio transmitting apparatus. The vessel was previously named the General Perishing (MVUS 1942).

A Lloyd’s Register of British and Foreign Shipping entry for the Heredia (with the same Official Number listed in MVUS) dated 1926 lists the vessel as a “steel single screw Schooner; 2 decks @ 2 partial decks; fitted with electric light, wireless and refrigerating machinery; water ballast.” Propulsion is listed as a “triple expansion engine with 3 cylinders of 27, 45 & 74 inches diameter respectively; stroke 54 inches; 413 nominal horsepower; engine by builders.” Tonnage is listed at 4,611 gross, with 3,936 under deck, and 2,801 net. The dimensions are listed as 378.8 feet long, 49.8 feet beam, and 29.6 feet hold. The bridge is listed at 154 feet with the forcastle 44 feet. The entry also verifies that the ship was built in Belfast in 1908, by Workman, Clark & Co. Ltd. The owners in 1926 are listed as the United Fruit and Steam Ship Corp. and New York is the port of registry.

Goldberg (1993) reports that the vessel was “..4943 gross tons, length 392ft, x beam 50ft, one funnel, two masts, speed 13 knots, accommodation for 100 passengers. Built in 1908 by Workman, Clark & Co, Belfast for the UK flagged Tropical SS Co. 1914 Transferred to Heredia SS Co, registered in the USA. 1922 Owned by United Fruit Co. 1933 Chartered to States SS Co, renamed GENERAL PERSHING and used on Trans-Pacific services. 1937 stopped carrying passengers, returned to United Fruit Co and renamed HEREDIA again. 19th May 1942 torpedoed and sunk by U-506 at position 28.53N 91.03W with the loss of 35 lives.”

Heredia, Unknown Source, Unknown Date.


Silk painting of S.S. General Pershing in early 1900s off of Japan.

According to Wiggins (1995:46, 83, and 84), the Heredia was sunk on May 19th at 1:00 AM by U-506 under the direction of Kapitänleutnant Erich Würdemann. “Torpedoes hit amidships and astern. The stern of the vessel sank first, resting on the seafloor 75 ft BSL while the bow was still above water. The crew was able to launch several of Heredia’s lifeboats.” Heredia was carrying passengers, coffee, and bananas. The survivors were rescued by a fleet of shrimp boats. The rescuers noted that two of the masts were still visible above the waterline when they arrived on site.

Browning’s tonnage for the Heredia corresponds with that listed in the MVUS record. He reports that the vessel was steam powered and carried 1,500 tons of bananas and coffee.

The account of the sinking as outlined in the Navy Summary of Statements by Survivors (entered by A.J. Powers, Ensign, U.S. Naval Reserves) reads:

“1. The “Heredia” was struck without warning three times by torpedoes at 0200 CWT, May 19, 1942, 2 miles SE of Ship Shoal Buoy, while enroute from Puerto Barrios, Guatemala to New Orleans, LA., with a cargo of 40,000 stems of bananas and 5,000 bags of coffee. The vessel sank stern first 3 minutes after the torpedoing in 16 or 17 fathoms of water.

2. She was on course 112° true, speed 12 knots, drafts forward and aft 23 feet, not zigzagging but had been zigzagging previously (from approximately 2100 CWT, May 18), when a light was observed until well after sunset. Ship was blacked out, radio not used, 6 lookouts, 2 on forecastle, 2 aft at gun 1 officer on bridge, 1 spare at lookout. The weather was fair, slight breeze, force 2, light sea, no stars or moon and no ships in sight.

3. The fist and second torpedoes struck the port quarter aft at #3 and #4 holds (90 feet from stern). The third torpedo struck amidships on starboard side, all were 12 feet below water. The decks blew up and #3 and #4 lifeboats were blown to bits. Engines were stopped, no distress signals sent; presumed radio operator killed in first explosion, no counter offensive offered, confidential codes went down with ship.

4. Only two rafts got away from the vessel. 26 survivors were rescued in the following way: Shrimp Trawlers “Papa Joe”, 1 survivor; “Conquest”, 2 survivors, one body; “J. Edwin Treakle”, 10 survivors; “Shellwater”, 10 survivors. They were landed at Morgan City, LA., at approximately 0315 CWT, May 20. A seaplane picked up 3 survivors and landed them at New Orleans, LA. The survivors were sighted in the water by several planes and the Shrimp Trawlers were dispatched to the scene. There were 48 crew, 6 Navy gun crew and 8 passengers aboard the vessel. The survivors include 7 passengers, 1 Navy gun crew and 18 crew.

5. The vessel was attacked by two submarines. These submarines were never sighted at any time, however, survivors stated that for an hour after the sinking two searchlights of different types were observed. These lights were finally extinguished and no further trace as seen of the attacking vessels.

6. The single surviving Navy gun crew member stated that he was on deck aft when explosion occurred; he was blown overboard, consequently, no offensive action was taken.”

SITE DESCRIPTION
Dimensions for the shipwreck are reportedly 328 feet by 82 feet (Wilson et. al. 2004). The sonar image shows a protrusion that may be the vessel’s smoke stack.

Literature references identified a number of shipwrecks within 15-miles of the wreck in Ship Shoal Area. Of these, the R.W. Gallagher, Heredia, and Hamlet all have similar dimensions and are similar vessel types that were all torpedoed in this portion of the Ship Shoal Area. The identify of each wreck has been provided to the MMS by Avery Munson of New Iberia, LA who apparently has dived on each wreck site. No maps, dimensions, or other materials are currently available to confirm or dispute Munson’s identifications.

The wreck in South Marsh Island Area was originally identified during a geophysical lease survey performed by John E. Chance and Associates, Inc on October 19 and 20, 2002. The report dated October, 2002, was written by Senior Geophysicist Jeffery Thomas and contract Marine Archaeologist, Laura Landry. The report reads:

“Sonar data revealed a significant contact that is interpreted to be a sunken ship. This ship appears to be lying hull up, measures approximately 65 x 420 feet, and protrudes up from the seafloor about 28 feet. The ship also appears to have broken into two major pieces. There are two linear contacts extending out from the ship approximately 80 feet to the north and 225 feet to the south. These linear features could represent either seafloor dragmarks or lengths of cable or chain. Other scattered pieces of debris are also observed in the vicinity of the shipwreck.
“The most significant target noted in the data appears to represent a sunken vessel recorded on Lines 11, 22, and 23. Its dimensions are about 450 feet by 65 feet, with a height of about 28 feet above the seafloor. Hull up, it appears broken into two major pieces. Two linear targets extend out from the vessel, interpreted as possible drag scars or sections of chain or cable (J.E. Chance 1992: 28).”

“Consultation of existing shipwreck files maintained by the US Coast Guard and the National Ocean Service, as well as in-house JEC files, indicate that no shipwrecks have been recorded previously in the lease. However, several large vessels were reported sunk in the area between 1942 and 1944, casualties of submarines (National Ocean Service 1991). Pushed by local currents and storm surges, any one of these may have drifted into the southern portion. The wreck recorded during this survey could be determined to be of historical significance as an artifact of World War II and the Cold War era, and should be avoided (J.E. Chance 1992: 30).”

The hazard and archaeological sections of the report differ in the dimensions of the wreck site. The hazard section reports that the wreck is 420 feet x 65 feet and the archaeological section reports that the wreck is 450 feet x 65 feet. The report does not postulate a possible identity for the wreck. According to the MMS database, NIMA reports an unidentified vessel approximately 200 feet northwest of this location that is most likely the same vessel.

It is unclear at which point that the wreck was identified as the Cities Service Toledo. An email in MMS files from Charles Pearson (of Coastal Environments, Inc.) addressed to Dave Ball (MMS) reads:

“Just some information on the vessel Cities Services Toledo identified by John Chance survey. This position places the wreck at the southern edge of the block where Rob [presumable Rob Floyd, formerly of John E. Chance and Associates] had the large anomaly. Could very well be the same target, or debris from the Toledo. There is a good side scan image of the vessel, appears to be about 420 feet long, 65 feet wide and raises 28 feet off the bottom. Possibly upside down and broken in half. The boat was hit by 4 torpedoes and exploded and caught fire, so could have broken in two. I will send this info to Rob. There is no date on the John Chance report, but if fairly old there is a good chance that Rob wrote it [this is incorrect, Laura Landry wrote the archaeological analysis] (Pearson 2001).”

So far this is the first written record uncovered to date that connects the unidentified shipwreck to the Cities Service Toledo.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, CITIES SERVICE TOLEDO
The Cities Service Toledo was an 8,192 gross ton oil tanker measuring 465.2 feet in length, 60 feet in breadth, with a depth of 26.4 feet. It was built in 1918 in Wilmington, Delaware as the J.A. Bostwick. Originally a steam screw, it was re-fitted to burn oil via a 2,800 horsepower engine. Owned and operated by Cities Service Oil Company, Pennsylvania at the time of sinking. The vessel’s home port was New York, New York (MVUS 1943).


Cities Service Toledo (Image from MMS database, unknown source).

Browning (1996:140) provides the following description of the sinking which occurred on June 12, 1942:

“On 10 June, the Cities Service Toledo weighted anchor at Corpus Christi, Texas to steam to Portland, Maine. The tanker made an easy target for the U-158 (Rostin) as she plied a nonevasive course. Twenty miles east of the Trinity Shoals Gas Buoy, the U-158 fired two torpedoes that struck two seconds apart on the starboard side amidships in the #6 and #7 tanks. The vessel rapidly took a starboard list. Five minutes later two more torpedoes struck the starboard side about amidships at the #4 and #5 tanks. The last torpedo caused the vessel to burst into flames. The Navy gun crew stayed with the ship as long as possible and fired three rounds from the five-inch gun at a light thought to be the submarine. When the gun’s gears broke, the nine armed guards abandoned ship with the rest of the crew of eight officers and twenty-eight men. The explosion and fire consumed the life rafts and two of the boats. The crew launched a third boat, but they could not clear the flames and had to jump in the water. Seventeen men abandoned the tanker in the remaining lifeboat. The Norwegian tanker SS Belinda rescued the men in the lifeboat several hours later. Eight hours after the attack the tanker SS Gulf Kind and the SS San Antonio rescued the surviving thirteen men in the water. All the survivors landed at Burwood, Louisiana. The fifteen who died included one officer, ten crewmen, and four armed guards.”

According to Wiggins (1995:91 and 95), the vessel was loaded with 83,000 barrels of crude oil at the time of sinking. The vessel was attacked by U-158 , Erich Rostin was the captain. U-158 previously attacked the Panamanian freighter Hermis and tanker Sheherazade. U-158 continued to operate in the Gulf after the sinking, and its final victim was the vessel Henry Gibbons, sunk south of New Orleans. The bodies of the deceased Cities Service Toledo crew were recovered and brought to Morgan City to be identified by James Hand, senior member of the gun crew (Morgan City Info: Archvies-501 Federal Avenue, 985-380-4621; Librarian/Archivist-Lisa Mayon, 220 Everett Street; Daily Review, Morgan City Newspaper in operation since 1871).

Contemporary accounts of the sinking come from the Navy Summary Statement of Survivors filled out by Lieutenant A. J. Powers of the U.S. Naval Reserve, and an article in the New Orleans Times Picayune dated 6/17/1942

The vessel is frequently referred to as the Cities Services Toledo in modern databases, although all contemporaneous accounts refer to it correctly as the Cities Service Toledo. The NOAA AWOIS database refers to the vessel as City of Toledo.

SITE DESCRIPTION
Dimensions for the shipwreck are reportedly between 420 feet (J.E. Chance 1992:20) and 450 feet (J.E. Chance 1992:28) long, 65 feet wide, and 28 feet above of the seafloor. The vessel is believed to sit hull up, and is believed to be broken into two pieces. Two pieces of debris were also identified on the sonar data in close proximity to the wreck. These are reportedly either cable or seafloor scarring.

This wreck was originally identified via a geophysical survey in the High Island Area performed by Thales Geosolutions, Inc. in December, 2001. The archaeological report prepared by Rob Floyd states, “Available references on shipwrecks in the general vicinity include the Doris (1915), Shamrock (1939), Frances H. (1909), the Lydia (1909), and the Emma Harvey (1916). The magnetometer and side scan sonar records…were examined for wrecks, and the wreck located 700 feet southeast of the Apache 6-inch pipeline appears to be a modern work boat approximately 75 feet long and 20 feet wide. The magnetic readings (#4 and #16) indicate a vessel slightly under 100-ton class. The coordinate for the sonar image should be used as the center of avoidance rather than the magnetic readings in this specific case.” (Thales 2002:19).

This wreck was not entered into the MMS shipwreck database, and was again “discovered” during a geophysical survey performed by Tesla Offshore in May, 2008. The geophysical data analysis and resulting report were prepared by Marine Archaeologist Amanda Evans and Geoscience Manager, Matt Keith.

SITE DESCRIPTION
Side scan sonar data depict an acoustically medium-textured seafloor devoid of significant topographic variations. Sonar target #2 is a shipwreck measuring 69 x 22’ with a maximum of 12’ relief above the seafloor.

The wreck appears to be oriented with the bow to the northeast, and the stern to the southwest (Figure A). The hull of the vessel appears on the sonar data as a moderate reflector, suggesting that the vessel retains structural integrity.


Sonar image of survey line 11 shows the vessel with the bow oriented to the northeast.


Measurements from the sonar data provide a range of dimensions. The vessel is approximately 69 feet in length overall, with a beam of approximately 22 feet. Recorded height ranges from 6 ½ to 12 feet above the surrounding seafloor. The vessel has a linear projection that measures approximately 15’ in length (Figure B). A secondary feature is located approximately 40 feet from the vessel, and measures 20’ x 9’ with no relief above the seafloor (Figure B). The vessel may be upside down on the seafloor, with the keel up, and reflected on the sonar data as a darkly reflecting linear trend (Figure B).



“It is unlikely based on the initial survey data that the vessel, is a historic resource, however it should be avoided by a distance of 1,000 feet until a definitive assessment can be made of the vessel’s potential historical significance.”

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The shipwreck is located approximately 21 nautical miles south of Jefferson County, Texas, and lies approximately 8 miles SE of a modern Shipping Fairway that connects Sabine, Port Arthur, and Galveston.

This portion of the Gulf coast lies between the major historic ports of New Orleans, Louisiana, and Galveston, Texas and seaward of the primary historic coastal shipping lanes. In his synopsis of the submerged cultural resource management plan for the State of Louisiana, Terrell (1990) summarizes the development of shipping through this portion of the Gulf of Mexico. He discusses the period of early watercraft prior to 1718, including aboriginal canoes; the expansion of waterborne commerce between 1718 and 1812; the early steamship period from 1812 to 1868; the Civil War shipping and battles between 1861 and 1865; the waning period of steam-driven ships up to 1936; and the World War II encounters across the coastal areas.

MMS and NOAA shipwreck databases report numerous obstructions and several shipwrecks within 20 miles of the current survey grid. Of these, the only wrecks with similar dimensions as the unidentified shipwreck are:
Gulf Lee, a 68’ vessel. Location reliability: 3 (fair to poor).
Laurentine III, 72’ vessel. Location reliability: 2 (good to moderate)[2].

Five (5) historic sailing vessels were identified in the Thales report in the general area of the study shipwreck. These vessels all lie over 20-miles from the shipwreck and no dimensions were available for any of these wrecks (the vessel Lydia appears to be incorrectly plotted in the MMS database).