During WWI, on April 2, 1917 President Woodrow Wilson announced a call to arms and the entire nation began to mobilize. Part of this order required the building of a fleet of fast coal ships which would constitute the US’s main supply line for the troops in Europe. The US government signed a contract for 731 wooden steamships to be manufactured, the majority of which would never be used.

These ships are known as the Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay. Some were sunk in Mallows Bay but most were left to rot, these can be seen above, the picture you see is from Google Maps. They now sit at the bottom of the shallow bay, some sticking out of the water like a zombie’s hand out of a burial spot. Nature has taken matters into her own hands covering the ships with algae.

The Ghost Fleet can be found around the bend at Sandy Point entering Mallows Bay, going south on the Potomac River. The ships are surrounded by tall forested bluffs, covered by vegetation. When that eerie feeling which starts from the back of your neck makes its way all over your body, you have found the fleet.

South of Mallows Bay, is an area called Piney Point, Maryland where the U-1105, a Type VII-C German WWII era submarine, lies in its Potomac resting place. The sub was saw active combat in 1945 disabling the HMS Redmill, an English Frigate and killing 32 men.

When the armistice was signed on November 11^th the Black Panther, so called for its black rubber coating, was surrendered to the English and given to the US to undergo testing. It was during testing that the Black Panther was damaged and sunk in the Potomac River. Unfortunately the US Navy did not mark down the coordinates down accordingly and the U Boat was lost in the waters for almost 40 years. In 1985, a team of sports divers found the U-1105 and by 1994 the site became Maryland’s first historic shipwreck preserve.

There may not be any sharks or colorful coral, but the experience sure makes for a good story over some Chesapeake crabs and beer!

Labels: Adventure Travel, Destinatons