COORDINATES: 26949.7, 40038.3

The Dixie Arrow was a 468' long tanker that was torpedoed off Hatteras, North Carolina, 26 March 1942, by the U-71. She remained afloat, purging crude oil, flames, and profuse quantities of black smoke, visible for miles. She eventually settled in 90' of water on a clean sandy bottom.

The bow rises almost 30' off the bottom, with the skeletal frame intact for 80' until it breaks down into jumbled debris. Anchor chain fills the bow space, with a hull plate holding a couple of portholes peeled off and laying in the sand below the portside quarter. There are deep washouts directly under the bow where copious supplies of seashells collect -- a great location for a malacologist. The main part of the wreck is a mass of twisted steel, though contiguous and with several landmarks. The three boilers, followed by the large engine are visible as one heads aft. Brass valves and an occasional gauge are found throughout this area. The stern boasts the bronze propeller, buried in the sand. About 60' off the starboard side of the stern, the remains of the superstructure lie half-buried in the sand. The Arrow is a popular wreck, home to several resident sea turtles and sand tiger sharks.