WWII ships found 30 miles off North Carolina coast

Two sunken vessels from WWII were recently found off the coast of North Carolina.

Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration discovered the Nazi U-boat 576 and the Nicaraguan-flaggedfreighter Bluefields that were sunken just minutes apart on July 15, 1942 during the Battle of the Atlantic.

They were lost for more than 70 years until researchers found them less than 300 yards apart in what's known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic.

The NOAA says the discovery of the German U-boat 576 and the freighter Bluefields offers a "rare window into a historic military battle and the underwater battlefield landscape of WWII."

But recovering the U-boat isn't likely.

It was the only one that suffered casualties and the wreck site is considered a war grave for the crew.

It's protected under international law and German officials said they have no plans of bringing it up.

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