San Diego Wreck

General Comments

HISTORY NM30/18--OBSTRUCTION BUOY HS, 2ND CLASS NUN, WAS ESTAB. JULY 19 IN 15 FMS ABOUT 50 YARDS WEST OF OBSTR. OVER WHICH THERE IS 6.5 FMS OF WATER; SHINNECOCK BAY LH BEARS 52 DEG (M), FIRE ISLAND LH BEARS 297 DEG (M), LONE HILL CG STATION BEARS 339 DEG (M). NM31/18--OBSTRUCTION GAS BUOY HS ESTAB. JULY 27 IN PLACE OF OBSTRUCTION BUOY HS, THEN DISCONTINUED. NM44/19--BUOY DISCONTINUED OCT. 21, THE WK HAVING DISAPPEARED (CHARTS CARRIED NO WK SYMBOL AT THIS TIME) NM30/18--SEE ABOVE (NON-DANGEROUS WK APPLIED TO CHART IN 1955 AFTER RE-EVALUATING NM) H6189/36--NOT FOUND, NO INVESTIGATION. CL347/58--1957 NAVY WK LIST; TWO WKS LISTED; NO.115, SAN DIEGO AT POSITION 40-33-15N, 73-01-20W AND UNKNOWN AT POSITION 40-33N, 73-00-30W (BOTH CHARTED AS NON-DANGEROUS, THE UNKNOWN IS ASSUMED TO BE THE SAN DIEGO BASED ON THE REFERENCE TO AN NM DATED 10/30/19 AS THE SOURCE. ALTHOUGH NO NM IS DATED SUCH NM44/19 IS DATED 11/1/19 AND PERTAINS TO THE SAN DIEGO) CL351/59--PRIVATE LETTER; ALTHOUGH PART OF LTR IS MISSING AUTHOR APPARENTLY INDICATES THAT WKS CHARTED AT POS.40-33N, 73-00-30W AND 40-33-15N, 73-01-20W ARE NOT CORRECT AND A WK SHOULD BE CHARTED AT 40-32-25N, 73-02-35W. (A WK IS ADDED AS RECOMMENDED BUT NO WKS ARE REMOVED AS RECOMMENDED) H9577/75--OPR-517, PSR 5; PSR REQUIRED INVESTIGATION OF 2 BARGES REPORTED SUNK HERE THRU LNM34/74, LNM35/74 LNM38/74; WK FOUND ON MAINSCHEME, DIVERS IDENTIFY AS A 500 FT L VESSEL, LYING INTACT KEEL UP IN 90 FT OF WATER, ORIENTATION IS BOW NORTH, STERN SOUTH AND LETTERS EG VISIBLE ON STERN, LD IS 53 FT (MLW) AT POS.40-32-25.62N, 73-02-30.64W. DESCRIPTION 195 LORAN-C RATES HAVE BEEN PROVIDED BY MR. RICHARD TARACKA, GREENWICH, CT. POLICE DEPT., TEL. NO. 203-622-8020; 9960-X 26542.9, 9960-Y 43692.8 (ENTERED MSM 6/89) **** NAVY--SHIPS HISTORY BRANCH; SAN DIEGO IS FORMER ARMORED CRUISER CALIFORNIA, NO.6; 503 FT L, 69.5 FT W, TWIN SCREW RAMMING TYPE BOW, RAISED ARMOR BELT AT WATERLINE, NAME ON STERN; SUNK BY CONTACT MINE LAYED BY GERMAN SUB. U-156, RECORD DOES NOT INDICATE POINT OF HULL RUPTURE BUT THOUGHT TO BE NEAR BOW ON PORT SIDE SINCE VESSEL LISTED TO PORT; WK PROBABLY STILL CONTAINS LIVE ORDNANCE AND TORPEDOES, ALSO HUMAN REMAINS, THERE IS NO RECORD OF SALVAGE BY NAVY AND WK HAS NOT BEEN ABANDONED. ADDITIONAL DESCRIPTION IN DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN NAVAL FIGHTING SHIPS, VOLUME 2, PG 13. **** UNDERSEA SYSTEMS, INC, BOB SHOUROT; WK IS LOCATED AT LORAN C POSITION 9930-Y-50643, 9930-Z-69873.RATES ARE 1982 OBSERVED AND WITHOUT CORRECTION PLOT ON CHART 12353, 13TH ED. AT POS.40-32-35N, 73-02-43W. WK IS UPSIDE DOWN AND ORIENTED BOW 20 DEG STERN 200 DEG 10 FM LD. POPULAR DIVE W/EASY ACCESS INTO HULL. DIVERS HAVE OBSERVED A SCOW SUNK ON STARBOARD SIDE OF WK, THOUGHT TO BE THE WK REPORTED THRU LNM34,35, 38 AND 54 OF 1974. MR SHOUROT SAYS OWNER OF SCOW WAS ATTEMPTING TO ILLEGALLY REMOVE A PROPELLOR WHEN IT SANK AND SUBSEQUENTLY REPORTED A SECOND SINKING TO CONCEAL HIS ORIGINAL ACTIVITY. SHOUROT IS SURE THAT ONLY ONE SCOW EXISTS IN THIS AREA.