Credit River - Skill Traditional Cache

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res2100: Making room for a new series...Credit River Sea Creatures

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Hidden : 8/3/2014
Difficulty:
1 out of 5
Terrain:
5 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:


Credit River - Shipwreck Series

Skill
 September 25, 1943



There are many shipwrecks around the world. Some very famous and others not so. Each however has it’s own story to tell. As you travel along the Credit River doing this series of caches, we have highlighted a number of these shipwrecks. During low water levels on these parts of the Credit River, you need to be careful in a canoe or kayak so as you don’t wind up in your own shipwreck. Besides the many large rocks along the way, there are also some other obstacles such as dams which should be avoided. All of the geocaches in this series have been placed by tubing, inflatable boat or on foot by walking in the water along the Credit River. Whichever way you choose to search for these caches, use caution and common sense.
More information about this series can be found here: Credit River - Shipwreck Series

Skill
USS Skill (AM-115) was an Auk-class minesweeper acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing.

After a brief shakedown cruise, Skill was ordered to the Mediterranean Sea where she swept mines and performed other mine-warfare countermeasures along the North African coast before the invasion there. After the initial invasion at Salerno, Italy, she was assigned patrol and convoy duty in that area. She returned to the area from escort duty on 25 September 1943 and was assigned a patrol station.

At 1140, not long after she had taken station, her forward magazine exploded. This was probably due to a submarine's torpedo because a survivor, whose station was on the bridge, later reported having seen a wake of undetermined origin paralleling the ship at a distance of about 150 yards.

Skill was blown in half and the forward section capsized. The after half caught fire, and the flames moved aft until that section exploded and sank at about 1200. Ten minutes later, the capsized bow slipped beneath the waves. Of her 103 officers and men, none of the officers and only 32 of the men survived. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 11 October 1943.

Skill was mistaken for an Allied destroyer and was sunk by German submarine U-593, commanded by Kptlt. Gerd Kelbling.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Nobhg 8 srrg hc n fxvaal gerr gung vf abg pyvzonoyr, ohg V nz fher lbh pna svther bhg ubj gb ernpu vg whfg nf V qvq cynpvat vg. Vg'f whfg unatvat gurer bhg va gur bcra.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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