SS Mopang

SS Mopang was a Sub Boats type (EFC Design 1023) cargo ship built in 1920 by the Submarine Boat Company shipyard in Newark, New Jersey, owned by Electric Boat Company (later General Dynamics).[1] The ship was produced as part of a special [World War 1]] program of the United States Shipping Board that built 150 identical ships to offset for the losses from the war. Only 118 ships were built as the war ended. The steamship sank on July 1, 1921[2] after hitting a naval mine near the port of Burgas.[3]

The wreck lies largely intact on its starboard side at a depth between 20 m (66 ft) and 33 m (108 ft) of water. Height from the bottom is 7 m (23 ft). The main damage from the explosion is to the bow section of the ship. Clearly discernible are the superstructures, parts of the funnel and deck. The holds and some of the cabins are freely accessible. Parts of the cargo – a heap of boots, wooden boxes with spare parts, etc. are visible in the holds. The screw with a diameter of around three meters and the stern hoist are in place. The anchor chain slides along the hull and sinks into the silt on the bottom. Probably the anchor came loose at the time of sinking and wound itself about the ship.[4]

In August 2018, oil leaked from the ship after severe weather and strong underwater currents, but authorities described the leak as "minimal and quite limited." A ship from the European Maritime Safety Agency was sent to the area to collect oil that had leaked into the water. Plans were also made to pump the remaining fuel out of the ship's tanks.[5]