Revision 7/20/2008 2:25 AM
Year Built 1943 Date Sunk 1 June 1943 Previous Name None Depth 110 feet Gross Tonnage 7,126 Dimensions 423’ x 57’ x 34’ Vessel Type Liberty Ship Power Oil Fired Steam Builder Bethlehem Fairfield Baltimore MD Official Designation None Owner US War Shipping Administration Location 27032.8 Home Port Borltimore MD Location 41390.2 Cause of Sinking Collision w/SS Montana Location 25 miles offshore
In Brief
The best known and one of the most popular wrecks offshore VA.
After colliding with the Montana on her maiden voyage the John Morgan split in half and found it’s way to the bottom after claiming 18 lives. The cargo of Ford trucks, Caterpillar tractors, motorcycles, Willy’s jeeps, Valentine tanks, machine guns and P-39 airplanes, as well as hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammo (as large as 5 inches) is still littered around the bottom and there are plenty of artifacts and fat tautog for the diver who wants a momento and a good dinner.
Source "Shipwrecks of Virginia" Gary Gentile 1992