2m 12sLength

GULFPORT, Miss. (WPMI) Scientists docked in Gulfport, Mississippi are exploring the relics of the World War II battle in the Gulf of Mexico. Members of the Corps of Exploration found a sunken German Nazi U-boat and American Warship south of the Mississippi River. The Nazi U-boat sank the SS Robert E. Lee more than 70 years ago. It is a testament of just how close the battle came to the shores of Alabama, a fact many Americans never knew about. "And there's a very good reason," said shipwreck historian Richie Kohler. "They didn't want us to know how Germany was taking us to task, how successful these U-boats were." Hitler brought the war to our doorstep," said Ocean Exploration Trust President Dr. Bob Ballard. He is aboard the exploration vessel Nautilus. "Shortly after they declared war on us, so this is something most American people do not realize how close the war came and how threatening it was. They were extremely successful." Using robotic cameras, scientist and engineers captured those moments frozen in time. The video showed the U-boat that once was used for war now rests peacefully at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. It is now home to colorful marine life. The video will appear in different TV documentaries. Crew members hope it will raise awareness about a moment in history once forgotten. "It is a static time capsule," Kohler said. "All of these shipwrecks in deep water are just that. The crew will leave Gulfport Thursday to head to the next part of their expedition. For more information on the expedition, click here.