Divers discover 1942 shipwreck off the coast of New Hampshire

A crew of divers discovered a 1942 shipwreck off the coast of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, this summer, reports Seacoastonline.com.

https://www.facebook.com/wmur9/posts/10155294803388717

Ryan King of Brentwood, along with eight other divers, began searching for the remains of the S.S. William H. Machen in 2014.

The Machen, which carried coal from Virginia to Maine, collided with another ship about 15 miles off the coast of Portsmouth in 1942. All 34 crew members were rescued, but the ship sank 300 feet below the surface.

“We’d been looking on and off for Machen for the last three years,” King told the news outlet.

The divers identified the ship through multiple artifacts with the Pocahontas Steamship Company logo found in the wreck.

Even after 30 dives, the crew has only explored part of the 360-foot ship.

King told Seacoastonline.com that they are still searching for more details about the sinking and stories from Manchen crewmembers or their relatives.

“The history of it has been interesting because it feels like it was forgotten,” he said.

https://www.facebook.com/RyanKingNH/posts/1465899370160508

Read King’s blog about the discovery and see more photos on his site.