AH-WR-0351

SS Dixie Arrow

Tanker · United States · Lost 1942 · The Outer Banks

A tanker torpedoed off Cape Hatteras in 1942, one of many losses in the U-boat campaign known as Torpedo Junction.

Captain of Record

Austin Albert Peedin

AHR-1975

See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

SS Dixie Arrow was a tanker built in 1921 for Socony-Vacuum Oil. On 26 March 1942 she was torpedoed by U-71 while carrying crude oil off Cape Hatteras. Eleven of her crew were killed, mostly by fire, while survivors were rescued by the destroyer USS Tarbell. The wreck now lies broken on the seabed and is a well-known dive site.

Vessel

Built: 1921
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Steel
Length: 468 ft
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: 8046
Propulsion: Steam, single screw
Owners: Socony-Vacuum Oil Company

Loss

Date: March 26, 1942
Cause: Enemy action
Location: Off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
Water: Atlantic Ocean
Voyage: Texas City, Texas → Paulsboro, New Jersey
Cargo: Crude oil
Aboard: 33
Lives lost: 11
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 90 ft
Condition: Broken and scattered
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 34.85° N 75.90° W
Accuracy: Approximate position
Nearest: Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
Region: The Outer Banks

Evidence

Overall confidence: Documented (80/100)

NOAA Monitor National Marine Sanctuary
Loss date, cause, casualties
North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
Vessel history, wreck location