Battle Off Nags Head

The WW II Battle Off Nags Head, of April 14th, 1942 was the subject of a great evening presentation last night in the Panel Room of the 1767 Chowan County Courthouse. The Panel Room is upstairs above the famous and historical courtroom.

A Truly Historical Setting

Jim W. Bunch, diver, historian, and author of the books Diving the U-85 and A Shadow in the Sea was the guest speaker. The evening was sponsored by the Shepard-Pruden Memorial Library with a grant from the North Carolina Humanities Council.



Jim Bunch Was An Excellent Speaker

Mr. Bunch , an Eastern North Carolina native who now lives in Kill Devil Hills, presented a startling lecture and powerpoint presentation of historical and underwater photographs on the history of the German U-85, his over 500 dives to its wreck, his remarkable recovery of the famous German Navy Enigma decoding machine from inside the wreck, and the artifact’s ongoing restoration at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras.



The Crowd Arrived Early. It Was Packed By The Time It Started

Some of the photographs published by Mr. Bunch are credited to Edenton’s own underwater photographer, Michael A. deCamp.



The Speech Was Supported By Some Great Photos

The U-85, one of several German U-Boats sunk in battle just off the North Carolina coast during WWII, lies in 100 feet of water only thirteen miles directly off Nags Head. Part of the signficance of the U-85, certainly one reason for its ongoing interest, is that it was the first Nazi submarine sunk by an American ship, the Destroyer Roper.

Roper Crew Marks Their Success

As we left the presentation, we walked down to the end of the park in front of the famous courthouse and watched the sunset over Edenton's Bay. It was a truly great evening all around.



Edenton Sunset Completes The Evening

This summer night’s presentation was free to the public. If you have any questions about the event, please contact Rosalie Miller, S-P Librarian (252) 482-4112 or Peter Rascoe, E-C Special Projects (252) 482-8431.