Wreck of the SS Atlantus

The concrete ship SS Atlantus, constructed during World War I due to a steel shortage, found an unusual fate connected to World War II. By the early 1940s, the Atlantus had already run aground off the coast of Cape May. During the war, its wreck served as a navigational marker for Allied convoys. Sailors would often use the visible remains of the Atlantus as a point of reference while navigating the treacherous waters near the entrance to the Delaware Bay. Its presence reminded all who saw it of the innovative and sometimes desperate measures taken during times of war.