The MS Rhein was a 439-foot long freighter, built in Hamburg, Germany, by the Hamburg-America Line in 1926.  The latter half of 1940 found the freighter in the neutral port of Tampico, Mexico, separated from the safety of German waters by the expanse of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, both filled with prowling Allied warships.  November 29, 1940, also found a U.S. Neutrality Patrol consisting of the destroyers USS Simpson (DD-221), USS Broome (DD-210), and USS McCormick (DD-223) on station off Tampico.  At 8:35 a.m., the Rhein and Idarwald, another German merchant ship, were observed leaving port and steaming south, staying within Mexican territorial waters.  The USS Broome pulled anchor and slowly shadowed the German freighters.  On December 7, 1940, the USS McCormick was ordered to relieve the Broome and keep the Rhein under surveillance as she steamed east towards the Florida Straits and the open Atlantic.  As the Rhein steadily approached Florida, the USS MacLeish (DD-220) was given emergency orders and hastily sailed from Key West at 2:05 p.m. to rendezvous with the McCormick in the Gulf of Mexico.  At 3:50 p.m., the Dutch man-of-war Van Kinsbergen, sailing under the British flag, was sighted by the MacLeish and informed of the approaching German freighter.  The two warships sped westward to rendezvous with the McCormick and intercept the Rhein.  Nearing the Dry Tortugas, the 6,050 ton Rhein was finally intercepted by the Van Kinsbergen on the morning of December 11.  As the U.S. warships moved off, the Van Kinsbergen turned on her spotlights and fired a warning shot across the bow of the Rhein.  With no escape possible, the crew of the Rhein attempted to scuttle their vessel and set fire to the ship.  A boarding party from the Van Kinsbergen attempted to salvage the freighter but abandoned efforts due to the fire that raged out of control, as well as armed resistance from the German crew.  After the skirmish, the MacLeish reported observing an empty lifeboat riddled with bullet holes and stained with blood.  That afternoon, the HMS Caradoc arrived to receive the German prisoners from the Van Kinsbergen.  The Caradoc then proceeded to fire 22 six-inch projectiles at the still-burning freighter, eventually sending her to the bottom at 3:56 p.m.

The wreck was not visited by divers until 1991 when she was found upright and intact in 250 feet of water, her main deck encountered at a depth of approximately 200 feet.  Her kingposts and forward mast still proudly pointed skyward, reaching to within 140 feet of the surface.  Unfortunately, the forward mast has since fallen to the deck and lies dangling off the portside of the wreck.  On the first few dives, Billy Deans and Frank Benoit located the ships bell still standing on the bow and returned with an underwater cutting torch to recover the brass prize.  The forepeak of the wreck presents several rooms for exploration, many filled with miscellaneous hardware and extra fittings to investigate.

Heading aft, the remains of the midship superstructure can easily be penetrated as the vertical bulkheads on the boat and main decks have collapsed in many places.  Large bronze portholes are found lying loose throughout this portion of the wreck.  However, the interior of the upper decks appear to be barren of other artifacts, possibly due to the raging fire that swept through the ship.  Several portions of the superstructure, including the bridge area, are extensively damaged, most likely the result of the Caradoc’s attack.  Gaping holes in the middle of the ship allow divers to work their way past twisted steel down into the boiler and engine rooms.  Back on deck, railing can still be observed lining several portions of the wreck, particularly as one travels aft towards the stern.  A traumatic fracture separates the extreme stern section, which is kicked over to port at an extreme angle.  The rudder and half-buried bronze screw can be observed on the starboard side of the wreck.  Rounding the fantail and heading forward, a line of closed portholes can be followed back to the fracture in the hull, underneath the collapsed aft mast which protrudes off the starboard side of the vessel.

While the wreck is impressive due to its sheer size, the impact of which is exaggerated by the 100-foot average visibility, the prolific marine life exponentially increases the enjoyment of a dive on the Rhein.  Constantly bathed by the warm tropical waters, the entire wreck is heavily encrusted by luxurious invertebrate growth, the forward cargo hold magnificently appointed with pink and white gorgonians that drape off support beams like ivy.  Large sea turtles and rays frolic about the wreck, while copious amounts of grouper and snapper move about the decks.  The amount of marine life is only surpassed by the massive average size of the observed specimens.  Due to its remote location, the wrecksite supports a balanced and thriving marine ecosystem that is seldom experienced on wrecks closer to the heavily-fished coast of Florida.

The MS Rhein is a spectacular Florida wreck; there are simply not enough superlatives to describe a dive on this site.  The historical background of the vessel, artifact potential, abundant marine life, and exceptionally clear and warm waters off the Dry Tortugas culminate to create a truly fantastic experience that any technical diver will relish.

Michael C. Barnette is the Founder and Director of the Association of Underwater Explorers (http://www.mikey.net/aue), a coalition of divers dedicated to the research, exploration, documentation and preservation of submerged cultural resources. Employed as a marine ecologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), he is currently working on a book documenting the numerous shipwrecks around the state of Florida.