Manuela is a boat accessible salt water dive site, located in Cape Lookout, NC. The maximum depth is over 150ft/46m. The average visibility is 61-70ft/19-21m.
Name: MANUELA
Type: Freighter
Built: 1934 by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA
Owner: A.H. Bull Steamship Company, NY, NY
Home Port: New York, NY
Size (ft.): 411-0 x 55-4 x 24-6
Gross Tonnage: 4772 tons
Propulsion: Single screw twin oil fired steam turbine engine/speed 13 knts
Date Sunk: torpedoed 6/24; sunk 6/25/1942
Cause: Torpedoed by U-404
Location Cape Lookout, NC
GPS: N34° 40.615’/W75° 47.135’
Torpedoed by U-404 (
Gentile)
SHIP HISTORY : (
Sources: Moore, Gentile) The
Manuela was traveling enoute from San Juan, Puerto Rico with over 100,000 bags of sugar. The freighter was fast enough (13 knt) to out run any submerged u-boat and was also carrying a deck gun and a trained crew of 6 Naval Armed Guard, but on 6/24, per operatinal orders, it was traveling with a slower convoy of 11 ships. As the convoy rounded Cape Lookout, it was spotted by the
U-404. The u-boat set a group of torpedoes towards the approaching ships. The first "fish" struck the freighter
Nordal which eventually sunk. Several minutes later (0727 EWT), the 2nd torpedo found starboard side of the
Manuela collapsing the bulkhead between the boiler and engine rooms. Two crew members were killed in the explosion and the compartments quickly filled with water. The
Manuela took on a definite starboard list and the captain ordered abandon ship. 23 crewman took to the #2 lifeboat and 17 others jumped overboard and climbed on to liferafts. The men in the lifeboat were towed by
CG-408 to the armed trawler
HMS Norwich City (FY-229) and taken to Morehead City, NC. The men on the life rafts were recovered by
CG-483 and taken to Norfolk, VA. Although mortally wounded, the
Manuela was quite ready to sink beneath the waves. Inspite of the damage and heavy starboard list, the freighter was still afloat the next day. The salvage tugboat,
P.F. Martin, came along side the half-sunk
Manuela and attached a tow line and attempted to drag the ship to shallow shoal waters for later recovery. The effort eventually failed and the
Manuela sank beneath the waves.
In an interesting footnote, the final resting places of the
Manuela and the deeper but nearby
Malchacewere switched (it was thought that the
Manuela was the deeper site) until Gary Gentile recovered the bell of the
Manuela at the location we know today.
Manuela in peace and wartime colors - note gun platform on stern in lower photo
DIVING NOTES: Diving Depths: 140-160 ft.
Visibility: Generally very good; range 50 to 100+ ft.
Current: Slight to strong
Summer Temperature: high 70s to mid 80s but can be subject to thermoclines on the bottom
Points of Interest: Largely intact bow, intact stern and midsections; propeller, port anchor, anchor windlass, large debris field