Wreck of Diamond Shoal Lightship No. 71

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Built in 1897 for the US Lighthouse Service as the LV-71, this lightship served in the waters of the Mid-Atlantic Coast as a floating lighthouse and aid-to-navigation for over 20 years. The majority of her service life was spent marking the treacherous waters off Diamond Shoals, where she found herself stationed on the night of August 6th, 1918.

With the US at war with Germany and her allies in WWI, the waters off the Carolina's were infested with U-Boats attacking allied merchant shipping. LV-71 maintained her vulnerable station during the war and was required to unarmed, such was the importance of her role guiding ships past the shoals. After a nearby merchant ship was torpedoed in the early evening of August 6th, the LV-71 rescued the survivors and transmitted a radio warning to other ships in the area. This message was picked up by the radio operator aboard the U-104, which promptly sped for the LV-71.

After allowing the crew of the Lightship to abandon their ship onto lifeboats, the U-104 sank the LV-71 with surface gunfire at this location on August 6th, 1918.

uscg.mil/history/weblightships/LV71.asp