AH-WR-1779

Marore

Bulk Ore Carrier · United States · Lost 1942 · The Outer Banks

A large ore carrier overturned off Cape Hatteras in 1942; all 39 crew members escaped in three lifeboats.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Built in 1922, Marore was a 550-foot steel ore carrier operated by the Ore Steam Ship Corporation. In February 1942 it sailed alone from Chile toward Baltimore with 23,000 tons of iron ore. Shortly after midnight on February 27, a torpedo from U-432 struck the ship near Wimble Shoals north of Cape Hatteras; shellfire followed as it sank. All 39 crew members left in three lifeboats and survived.

Vessel

Built: 1922
Registry: Hull no. 4212 (NOAA source)
Builder: Bethlehem Ship Building Corp. Ltd.
Yard: Sparrow’s Point, Maryland
Material: Steel
Length: 550.3 ft
Beam: 72.2 ft
Tonnage: 8,215 gross tons
Propulsion: Twin screw; two steam turbines
Owners: Ore Steam Ship Corp., New York

Loss

Date: February 27, 1942
Cause: Enemy action
Location: North of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, near Wimble Shoals
Water: Atlantic Ocean
Voyage: Chile (port not specified) → Baltimore, Maryland
Cargo: 23,000 tons of iron ore
Aboard: 39
Lives lost: 0
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 130 ft
Condition: Sonar indicated the hull was largely intact and inverted from amidships forward; aft, it was heavily broken apart.
Orientation: Inverted forward of amidships; stern heavily broken apart
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 35.54° N 75.25° W
Accuracy: Approximate position
Nearest: Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
Region: The Outer Banks

NOAA-published wreck-site position with side-scan sonar documentation; positional uncertainty and datum not certified on page, so displayed as approximate.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Well documented (92/100)

Port of departure in Chile, home port, discovery date and survey uncertainty are not established; complete-vessel artwork is interpretive.

NOAA Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, Marore
Full NOAA narrative reviewed: vessel dimensions, build date/site, owner, propulsion, cargo, casualty date/cause, voyage, crew survival, published wreck-site position, depth and sonar wreck condition; historical in-port vessel photograph used as an artwork reference.