AH-WR-0871

USCGC Comanche

Coast Guard Cutter · United States · Lost Sold by the Coast Guard in 1948; scuttled as an artificial reef in 1992. · The Georgia & South Carolina Coast

A 1930s Coast Guard cutter that served on Greenland convoy escort in World War II now rests as an artificial reef off Charleston.

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Comanche was built in 1934 by Pusey & Jones as one of six 165-foot Coast Guard cutters with light icebreaking capability. She served on Greenland Patrol convoy escort duty during World War II before decommissioning in 1947 and being sold in 1948. In 1992 the retired hull was scuttled off Charleston, South Carolina, to form an artificial reef.

Vessel

Built: 1934
Registry: WPG-76
Builder: Pusey & Jones Corporation
Yard: Wilmington, Delaware
Material: Steel
Length: 165 ft
Beam: 36 ft
Tonnage: 1005
Propulsion: Steam turbine, single screw
Owners: United States Coast Guard

Loss

Date: Sold by the Coast Guard in 1948; scuttled as an artificial reef in 1992.
Cause: Intentional sinking
Location: Offshore Charleston, South Carolina
Water: Atlantic Ocean
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 90-105
Condition: Intact hull resting on the bottom, colonized by sponges and soft corals
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 32.457° N 79.318° W
Accuracy: Surveyed position
Nearest: Charleston, South Carolina
Region: The Georgia & South Carolina Coast

South Carolina DNR's official statewide artificial reef coordinate file lists this position for the 165' Comanche vessel at the Comanche reef site.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Partially documented (70/100)

The exact date and circumstances of the 1948-1992 interval before scuttling, and the wreck's precise coordinates, are not established in the sources reviewed.

Wikipedia, USCGC Comanche (WPG-76)
Build data, wartime service, decommissioning, sale, and 1992 scuttling as artificial reef.
Zentacle dive site listing, Comanche Reef
Dive site location description and depth.
SCDNR Artificial Reef coordinate data (ArtReef2021.csv)
wreck position