Historical accuracy: the real PAPOOSE

[aue-mike]

Even though it has been close to a year since the wreck of the tanker Papoose was positively identified in 200 feet of water off Oregon Inlet, North Carolina, local dive shops and mainstream magazines like Rodale's continue to do the dive community and history a great disservice by perpetuating wrong information. Although most have privately admitted the evidence is overwhelming, they apparently are putting the almighty dollar over historical accuracy, and publicly ignore reality as to avoid alienating or confusing their customers.

The bottom line is the popular shipwreck in 120 feet of water off Morehead City dive shops and charter vessels call the "Papoose" is actually the W.E. Hutton, while the shallow inshore wreck previously thought to be the Hutton is in reality the Ario.

Now that the 2007 dive season is under way, WRECK DIVING MAGAZINE (WDM) and the ASSOCIATION OF UNDERWATER EXPLORERS (AUE) are presenting the article that was originally published in Issue 10 of WDM. Read it (for free on the AUE website) with an open mind and decide for yourself. We would then ask that you encourage North Carolina dive shops to revise information on their websites and briefings to their customers to reflect the true events that transpired off the North Carolina coast in 1942.

SCRAMBLED HISTORY: A TALE OF FOUR MISIDENTIFIED TANKERS

Cheers,
Mike

 

[Colliam7]

Mike,

Thanks for posting. Some / many of us in NC are persuaded by the data, and refer to the 'wreck formerly known as the Papoose'. Of course, the effort to correct our historical understanding has to extend not only to the charter boats (diving AND fishing) but the chart publishers as well. I suspect many of them don't relish the idea of changing their publications for the very reasons you mention.

 

[rawls]

I totally agree that the names be changed to the correct identifications. This may take some time however. I will do what I can to try to push your crusade along. I dive out of Beaufort and Morehead. This won't be an easy task and may take quite a bit of time to get people to change the wrecks to their correct names. We just have to keep pushing. In the long run I think it will work out...