HMS Empire Mica First Underwater Footage 1961 скачать в хорошем качестве

HMS Empire Mica First Underwater Footage 1961

Dive into history with this extraordinary 1961 underwater film – the very first recorded video exploration of the HMS Empire Mica, a British tanker sunk by a German U-boat during World War II. On the moonlit night of June 29, 1942, the Empire Mica – a massive 8,032-ton steam tanker carrying vital fuel for the Royal Air Force – was torpedoed twice by U-67 in the Gulf of Mexico, approximately 20-21 miles south of Cape San Blas, Florida (near Port St. Joe). The explosions ignited a raging fire that burned for over 24 hours, visible from shore and heard miles away. Tragically, 33 of the 47 crew members perished in the attack or the flaming seas, while only 14 survivors were rescued by local boats and brought to Apalachicola Port St. Joe and Panama City. Nearly two decades later, in 1961, legendary Birmingham, Alabama diving pioneer Bill “Cap’n Scuba” Tant led a team of trailblazing divers to document the wreck in what was then pioneering early scuba and underwater cinematography. This film captures the Empire Mica as it appeared just 19 years after sinking – remarkably preserved in 110 feet of water. Featured in this historic footage: • Bill Tant (“Cap’n Scuba”) • Dean “The Sun God” Wilkerson • Sid Waldrop • Bob Daniel’s • Long John Wengle • Dave Apts • Sonny Aldridge • Gordon Rickles View incredible details including the lifeboat davits still in place, frozen in time from that fateful night of chaos and heroism. The wreck lies as an artificial reef and war grave today, but this footage offers a rare, never-before-seen glimpse of its early post-war condition. Did German sailors come ashore in Port St. Joe? Rumors and local legends have persisted for decades about U-boat crew members landing along the Florida Panhandle coast during the intense 1942 Gulf campaign (part of Operation Drumbeat / the “Second Happy Time”). While no confirmed evidence ties German sailors directly to Port St. Joe from the Empire Mica incident (the U-boat remained submerged or surfaced briefly offshore to observe the sinking), German U-boats did operate aggressively close to American shores, and isolated cases of landings or sightings occurred elsewhere along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. This film doesn’t resolve the mystery but adds to the intrigue of WWII’s hidden Gulf theater. Shot on vintage underwater cameras under challenging conditions, this film represents a milestone in Gulf Coast diving history. Bill Tant and his team helped pioneer wreck diving in the region, turning sites like the Empire Mica and nearby USS Tarpon into legendary destinations that helped establish Panama City Beach as the “Wreck Capital of the South.” Whether you’re a history buff, scuba enthusiast, WWII aficionado, or simply fascinated by maritime exploration, this restored footage preserves a pivotal moment in underwater archaeology and adventure diving. Like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more rare diving history, vintage underwater films, and stories from the Gulf’s shipwreck legacy! #EmpireMica #WWII #Shipwreck #ScubaDiving #GulfOfMexico #BillTant #CapnScuba #UnderwaterHistory #PanamaCityBeach #PortStJoe #Uboat #WreckDiving #VintageFilm #FloridaPanhandle #divingpioneers (SEO tags: hms empire mica, empire mica wreck, german u-boat gulf mexico, 1942 tanker sinking, first dive empire mica, bill tant capn scuba, 1961 underwater film, florida shipwreck trail)