The Coimbra Shipwreck
New York and New Jersey's (Wreck Valley)
Historical and current New York and New Jersey Shipwreck Information and images for scuba
divers and fisherman.
Capt.
Dan Berg's Wreck Valley Collection
COIMBRA
The Coimbra was built by the Howaldj Swerke Co., of Kiel,
Germany, in 1937. She was a tanker owned by the Socony Vacuum Oil
Co., Ltd., of Great Britain. She was 423 feet long, had a60 foot
beam, displaced 6,768 gross and 3,976 net tons.
At 3:00 AM, January15, 1942, on a foggy morning, a torpedo fired
from the U-123 hit her amidships, exploding her cargo of 81,000
barrels of fuel oil into flames. A second series of explosions
ripped the Coimbra into three sections before sending her to the
bottom. Captain J.P. Barnard, and 34 crew members were killed during
the initial explosions and resulting fires. Only six people
survived. The
NEW YORK TIMES reported with headlines "New U-Boat
Victim Confirmed By Navy ". The Coimbra was World War II's second
U-Boat sinking off the eastern seaboard.
Today, the Coimbra still lies in the three sections she was blown
into. Her bow is facing east, mid section is leaning to port and her
stern rests on its side. The wreck is located 64 miles southeast of
Jones Inlet and 78 miles from Manasquan Inlet in180 to 190 feet of
water. The Coimbra has also created some controversy. Even though
the U.S. government has inspected the wreck and issued a report that
the oil left on Coimbra presents no pollution threat to U.S. shores,
others believe differently. In fact, one article about the site
reports that there could be as much as 28,500 barrels of lube oil
remaining on the wreck. When I first journeyed to this wreck aboard
the R.V. Wahoo, we couldn't help to notice the oil slick still
hovering over the wreck. The oil is slowly escaping, but over a
period of years as her metal decays, this sunken tanker and others
like her could cause our beaches to be covered in oil. Even with oil
leaking from her hull, I was amazed at the water clarity on this
site. We reached her hull at165 feet and peered over her side to see
a row of portholes in the sand in 187 feet. The sand is clean and
white, and the marine life over and around the wreck abounds.
Remember
penetration into any shipwreck should only be done by those with
proper training, experience and
wreck diving equipment.
Coimbra Wreck. Photo courtesy Dan Berg Wreck Valley Collection.
Capt. Dan Berg with a porthole recovered from the Coimbra Wreck. Photo courtesy Dan Berg Wreck Valley Collection.
Divers from the Wahoo with artifacts from the Coimbra Wreck. Photo courtesy Dan Berg Wreck Valley Collection.
Helm from the Coimbra Wreck. Photo courtesy Dan Berg Wreck Valley Collection.
Keith W with telegraph from the Coimbra Wreck. Photo courtesy Dan Berg Wreck Valley Collection.
Coimbra Wreck. Photo courtesy Dan Berg Wreck Valley Collection.
Shipwreck
Diving, by Capt. Dan Berg is a complete how to book about the
sport of wreck diving. This book is packed with information and
heavily illustrated with over 80 sensational color photographs.
Shipwreck
Expo Free Newsletter
Sign up for our free e-mail shipwreck, diving and Treasure
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treasure hunters.
WRECK
VALLEY III
By Capt. Dan Berg
The most comprehensive, accurate, illustrated
collection of information, photographs, sketches
and stories ever written about the
shipwrecks
that lie off Long Island, New
York and New Jersey.
Soft cover, 8x10", 188 pages
printed in full color. $39.95 +P&H
The original Wreck Valley book was
published back in 1986. At the time it was not
only the first but the only book for area divers
that detailed local shipwreck history and dive
conditions.
Capt. Dan's 2nd edition was printed in 1990 and
became the most popular of his shipwreck
publications.
Wreck Valley III is a
completely new update, expanded and enhanced
edition of the
Wreck Valley books. Wreck Valley's
3rd edition covers the history,
legend, present
condition, aquatic life, and pertinent dive
information on over 140 shipwrecks.
This text includes over 550 illustrations,
comprised of over 400 color photographs, 111
black and white historical photographs, 35
sketches, 20 side scan sonar images and nine
3D underwater shipwreck illustrations.
Capt. Dan completely changed the books format
and design to accommodate all of the research
and images collected in 30 years of local
shipwreck diving. The collection of historical
photographs alone would take years of
archive
research to locate and would cost a small
fortune
if purchased separately. Many of these rare
images have never before been published.
Wreck Valley III
includes a GPS list of accurate artificial reef
and shipwreck locations. Divers, fisherman,
marine historians, armchair sailors or anyone
with a general interest in history, diving or
the sea will surely find this book informative,
fascinating, and the perfect addition to their
library.
WRECK
VALLEY III Sample
Pages
WRECK
VALLEY III
By Capt. Dan Berg Get your autographed copy of
Capt. Dan's new book today.
only $34.95 + 4.95 (priority mail)
***Also
available as instant Downloadable ebook*** Only $16.95 -for ebook version
15.9 MB instant download, printable PDF file
NOTE: The 2nd
edition is out of print but has now been made available as
an instant download ebook.
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only $9.95
12.3MB instant download, printable PDF file
This is the most comprehensive, accurate, illustrated
collection of information, photographs, sketches and stories
ever written about the wrecks that lie off the Long Island,
New York, and New Jersey shores. This ebook is a completely
new updated, expanded and enhanced edition of Daniel Berg's
original
Wreck
Valley book. Wreck Valley Vol II covers the history, legend,
present condition, aquatic life and pertinent dive
information on over 90 shipwrecks. This text includes over
265 illustrations comprised of 137 color photographs, 97
black and white historical images, 32 sketches, plus one
map. The collection of historical photographs alone would
take years of archive research to locate and would cost a
small fortune if purchased separately. Many of these rare
photographs have never before been published. Divers,
fisherman, marine historians, armchair sailors or anyone
with a general interest in history, diving or the sea will
surely find this ebook informative, fascinating and the
perfect addition to their library.
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Books by Capt. Berg Shipwreck, beach diving and
wreck diving books by Capt. Dan Berg
The Coimbra was built by the Howaldj Swerke Co., of Kiel,
Germany, in 1937. She was a tanker owned by the Socony Vacuum Oil
Co., Ltd., of Great Britain. She was 423 feet long, had a60 foot
beam, displaced 6,768 gross and 3,976 net tons.
WRECK
VALLEY III
Capt. Dan completely changed the books format
and design to accommodate all of the research
and images collected in 30 years of local
shipwreck diving. The collection of historical
photographs alone would take years of
archive
research to locate and would cost a small
fortune
if purchased separately. Many of these rare
images have never before been published.
Wreck Valley
III
includes a GPS list of accurate artificial reef
and shipwreck locations. Divers, fisherman,
marine historians, armchair sailors or anyone
with a general interest in history, diving or
the sea will surely find this book informative,
fascinating, and the perfect addition to their
library.
Wreck
Valley book. Wreck Valley Vol II covers the history, legend,
present condition, aquatic life and pertinent dive
information on over 90 shipwrecks. This text includes over
265 illustrations comprised of 137 color photographs, 97
black and white historical images, 32 sketches, plus one
map. The collection of historical photographs alone would
take years of archive research to locate and would cost a
small fortune if purchased separately. Many of these rare
photographs have never before been published. Divers,
fisherman, marine historians, armchair sailors or anyone
with a general interest in history, diving or the sea will
surely find this ebook informative, fascinating and the
perfect addition to their library. 
