USS Schurz Project

Picture courtesy of the Naval Historical Center.

The USS Schurz, lost off the North Carolina coast on June 21, 1918, was the subject of a Phase II archaeological investigation this summer.  Formerly known as the SMS Geier, it was a steel hulled German cruiser of the Bussard class built in 1894 by the Imperial Dockyard in Whilhelmshaven, Germany.  The Schurz’s hull construction combined steel, wood planking, and copper sheathing, and its use of both sail and steam for propulsion make it a prime example of the evolution from traditional sailing technology to modern naval construction.  Graduate student Tane Casserley conducted this investigation, using digital recording techniques, as part of his thesis research on the construction of late nineteenth century naval vessels used for colonial service in remote duty stations.  The wreck lies 32 miles offshore in 115 feet of water.