World War II merchant marine battlefields in the Gulf of Mexico: Analysis of the SS R.W. Gallagher and SS Cities Service Toledo using 3D modeling, physics, and battlefield archaeology.

摘要

S.S. R.W. Gallagher and S.S. Cities Service Toledo, were sunk by German U-Boats in the Gulf of Mexico in 1942. They were investigated for their historical significance under a project led by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)/Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) archaeologists in 2010. These two shipwreck sites provide an opportunity to analyze maritime casualties within the broader theoretical framework of battlefield archaeology. Furthermore, they provide examples of site formation processes that help explain why ships end up inverted on the sea floor during sinking events. Through the dynamic research associated with identifying these ships, their history, and their context, 3D modeling is utilized in an attempt to exhibit the current state of remote-sensing and 3D modeling software. These capabilities allow archaeologists to take a static archaeological site and present it in a way that will reveal more to the public through the growing lens of graphical interpretation and interest in World War II archaeology. This thesis builds upon a foundation of current technology and theoretical principals for future research to broaden knowledge and practice of marine archaeology in the Gulf of Mexico, and beyond.