THE HALSEY

The Halsey was built in 1920 in California by the Bethlehem SB Corporation. 433 feet in length and with a 56-foot beam, the tanker was one of many that would meet her fate during World War II. She was 435 feet long, had a 56 foot beam, displaced 7,088 gross tons and was powered by a single screw, triple expansion engine. The Halsey was owned by American Petroleum Transport Corp., of New York.

On 6 May 1942, the Halsey was headed to New York with a full load of fuel oil, gasoline, and naptha taken on in Corpus Christi, Texas, when a torpedo from the U-333 (which also sunk the Amazone) split her open amidships. Quickly consumed by fire, her entire crew of 32 amazingly survived the incident. The wreck sits in 65 feet and is broken into three large pieces.

According to diver Joe Roberts, the Halsey sits on a sand bottom in 65 feet of water, approximately three miles apart and 13 miles from Ft. Pierce Inlet. Divers will hit a maximum depth of 85 feet in the wash out around the wreck. The wreck is broken into three sections. The bow and stern are upright while the mid section is upside down. The site is also known as Two Freighters and Southeast Wreck.

According to Craig Swavely, there is a small landing craft inshore from the Halsey in 35 feet of water, and in between the Halsey and the Amazone are the remains of a crane and four barges. The crane and barges were in the process of salvaging the Halsey when they got caught in a storm and sunk.

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