BAREG Spring 2025 Update II – 6 MAY 2025 – BAREG – Battle of the Atlantic Research & Expedition Group

1. Recent activities:

A) Quarry Gardens Recce – 27 APR 2025

Eleven divers participated in reconnaissance dives in two decommissioned soapstone quarries at the Quarry Gardens (QG) in Schuyler, VA. The purpose of the dives was to determine if any significant cultural resources could be found in the quarries, and if so, to return to the site for a detailed survey. Two dive teams explored the smaller south quarry and three teams dove the north quarry. Both quarries had high walls on their eastern and northern sides, and entry/exit on the western side was complicated by a deep and thick margin of submerged fallen trees and branches.

Water temperatures ranged from the mid to high 50s at the surface to 42 degrees at the bottom. Viz at the bottom was one foot. At the quarry bottoms there was a thick layer of branches, leaves and other plant detritus. This layer concealed any quarrying equipment and infrastructure (e.g., rail tracks for moving cut stone) on the deeper rock bottom. We found trash in the form of plastic bottles, tires, and a refrigerator, and these are a legacy of the quarries’ post-mining role as a community dumpsite. No significant cultural resources were found, but divers did confirm max depths of 60 feet. Given the absence of cultural features, BAREG and the QG management have determined an underwater survey of the quarry bottoms is not required. However, structural features of the quarries, most notably the stone buttresses left in place to hold up the high eastern soapstone faces might be the subject for a follow-on dive.

BAREG was given the opportunity to be the first divers to dive QG quarries through the efforts of Bill Chadwell. Our thanks to Bill for making this happen, and our thanks to Rachel and Devin at QG for allowing BAREG to dive the quarries. BAREG is preparing a report to QG on our findings. For BAREG members visiting central Virginia, we strongly recommend stopping at QG to walk its trails and take in its flora, fauna, geology, and history.

B) U-1105 Dives – 3 MAY 2025

Four BAREG divers dove the U-boat on a day with bumpy conditions at the surface and low viz on the bottom. For two of the divers (Derek S. and Matt G.), it was their first time on the U-1105 and despite the marginal conditions all the dives went well. However, the seas caused the floats on the up/down line to part and a shot line had to be used to reset the up/down line that is kept tied into the U-boat’s search periscope.

When the up/down line was temporarily lost, the new divers seamlessly shifted from a familiarization dive to a working dive. The first dive team (Kevin M. and Matt G.) located the U-boat from the shot line in less than 15 minutes and the up/down line was back in place for the remainder of the dives. The viz on top of the tower was one to two feet, but at the mudline viz was less than one foot as the current picked up river bottom sediment and created rolling clouds of turbidity. Water T was in the high 50s. BZ to Kevin and Matt for finding the U-boat so quickly under these bottom conditions and many thanks to Derek S. for his video and frame grabs.

2. Near-term Events

A) The Studies and Observation Division (SODS) of BAREG is pleased to announce the first in a continuing series of lectures on special operations activities. Many BAREG members share a keen interest in military history and so we’ve established SODS (for true history geeks, look this up) to facilitate discussions and briefings on this topic. To that end, on Saturday, 10 MAY, Bill Chadwell will conduct a one-hour presentation on the Son Tay Raid, an effort in 1970 by U.S. Army Special Forces and U.S. Air Force special operations personnel to rescue American servicemen from a POW camp deep in North Vietnam, roughly 30 miles outside Hanoi. The presentation will detail the rescue force task organization, planning, training, and mission execution, as well as the intelligence sources and methods used to support the raid. It will also outline the impact the raid had on the future development of U.S. special operations capability during the height of international terrorism in the 1970s and 1980s.

The presentation will begin at 1300 in Meeting Room 116 at the Burke Centre Library, 5935 Freds Oak Road in Burke, VA.

B) New 2025 Schedule Item: U-1105 Dives 17 & 18 MAY 2025 Familiarization dives on our backyard U-boat.

SAT, 17 MAY
Showtime: 1030
Low tide: 1155

SUN, 18 MAY
Showtime: 0500
High tide: 0636

The early start on Sunday is required to dive at the high tide. In theory high tide brings better viz, but there is no guarantee as the river always surprises us.

C) USS Katahdin Survey

This year’s effort follows up on our recce last August. The wreck lies off Stingray Point at the mouth of the Rappahannock River. We will operate out of Windmill Point Marina and we plan to produce a site map and a collection photos and videos of the wreck.

9 MAY – M/V My Purpose Holds (MPH) transits down to the Windmill Point Marina

MAY – First dive day
MAY – Second dive day
JUN – Final dive day
JUN – MPH transits back to Tall Timbers

For your dive planning, the max depth is about 26 fsw and as far as we know, there is nowhere in that part of Virginia where we can get fills. We will have to be self-sufficient with our gas. I plan to bring two sets of doubles.

3. BAREG Budget Issue

Problem Statement: BAREG lacks sufficient funds to pay our commercial liability insurance premium, and without this insurance we will have to shut down dive operations.

The Purpose section of our charter states that BAREG: [Conducts] scuba dives on wrecks associated with these campaigns and documenting their current and changing conditions via photography, videography, and/or traditional archaeological recording techniques;

To be clear, if BAREG can not conduct dive operations then there is no BAREG.

As mentioned at our Fall 2024 Business Meeting and at the 2025 Symposium, BAREG does not have sufficient income to sustain dive operations. This is primarily due to the cost of our professional and commercial liability insurance.

At the business meeting, the membership approved our first-ever dues increase and the elimination of money-losing membership categories to address the shortfall of funds. We also attempted fund raising via a silent auction at the symposium, an effort that failed to raise any funds and the costs for the items offered had to be borne by those members who generously provided a dive computer, strobes, and services. In March, we had just enough funds to pay our annual professional liability premium ($2372.00) to DAN, but now we are faced with the commercial liability premium ($1250.00).

Interim Solution: BAREG’s three elected board members will provide the funds to cover the commercial liability premium for this year. Indeed, one board member has made a very generous donation that more than covers what we will owe DAN. However, the board members alone cannot sustain BAREG.

Next Steps: When we approach the end of the calendar year we will put out the call for annual dues as we always do. Additionally, we will put out a call for donations. Early in the new year we will assess our progress with dues and donations, and provide a status report and courses of action as needed, at the 2026 Symposium.

4. Updated 2025 Activities List

10 MAY: SODS Briefing on the Son Tay Raid – All invited
17 & 18 MAY: U-1105 – Confirmed – Call for Divers
29 MAY – 1 JUN: USS Katahdin & other wrecks – Confirmed – Call for Divers
10-15 JUN: NJ/Mid-Atlantic Wrecks w/SS Atwater, S-5, & U-869 (Advanced Trimix cert required for U-869) – Call for Divers
12 & 13 JUL: U-853, Point Judith, RI – Booked full
16-23 AUG: Bell Island, Newfoundland – Booked full
30 & 31 AUG: U-1105 – Confirmed – Call for Divers
27 & 28 SEP: NAS Training – Confirmed, seats open 4 & 5 OCT: NAS Training (alternate date) or U-1105
8 & 9 NOV: USS Oriskany CV-34 – Confirmed
15 NOV: Business Meeting – Confirmed
6 & 7 DEC: U-1105 Buoy Ops – Confirmed (working diver cadre)