USAT President Grant

USAT President Jackson

SS Francis Kohrs

SS James Whitcombe Riley

SS Alcoa Patriot

SS Duke of Sparta

SS Lipscombe Lykes

SS Francis Preston

SS Mahi Mahi

SS Mexican

SS Pomona Victory

SS MORMACWREN (MORMAC WREN)

Captain of the USAT ETOLIN

USAT George Washington

Thomas H. Barry

USS General J H Brooks

SS Maritime Victory

A more recent view of the SS Maritime Victory as it awaits scrapping

Another view of the SS Maritime Victory awaiting scrapping

SS Thomas Cresap

Gun Crew of the SS Robert M.T. Hunter - Send email to bowerman@armed-guard.com if you recognize someone

SS Brazil

Merchant ship explosion after being torpedoed

The Collier, S.S. BLACK POINT, was torpedoed by the German submarine U-853 (Fromsdorf) at 1740 EWT on May 5, 1945 off Point Judith, Rhode Island while en route to Weymouth, Massachusetts with a cargo of 7500 tons of coal loaded in Newport News, Virginia. She was sailing unescorted. Her complement was made up of 41 Merchant Crew and 5 Navy Armed Guard. Of this number, 11 crew members and one Armed Guard were lost. The Armed Guard was the Brother of C. A. Lloyd, Chairman of the WWII Navy Armed Guard Veterans Association. This was the last American Flag merchant ship sunk by a German submarine. The U-853 was sunk the same day in Block Island Sound by the USS ATHERTON (DE-169) and USS MOBERLY (PF-63). There were no survivors.

The Passenger Ship, S.S. DORCHESTER, was torpedoed by the German submarine U-223 (Wachter) at 0355 GCT on February 3, 1943 about 150 miles west of Cape Farewell, Greenland while en route in Convoy SG-19 from St. John's, Newfoundland to Narsarssuak, Greenland with 751 passengers and general cargo, lumber, and 60 bags of mail and parcel post. The ship's complement was 130 crew members, 23 Naval Armed Guard and 751 passengers. The passengers were U.S. Army personnel, civilian workers, Danish citizens and USCG personnel. There were only 229 survivors. Six hundred and seventy five persons were lost. The following were saved: 28 crew members, 44 civilian workers, 3 Danish citizens, 12 Navy Gun Crew, 7 USCG personnel and 135 U.S. Army personnel. The U-223 was sunk north of Palermo, Sicily by HMS LAFOREY, HMS TUMULT, HMS HAMBLEDON (L-37) and HMS GLENCATHRA (L-24) on March 30, 1944.

The SS Pio Pico - Picture provided by John Graves

The SS John Fiske, in Convoy HX-229A

The Freighter, S.S. HARRY LUCKENBACK, was torpedoed by the German submarine U-91 (Walkerling) at 0037 ship's time on March 17, 1943 about 400 miles ESE of Cape Farewell, Greenland while en route in Convoy HX-229 (#111) from New York to a United Kingdom port. Her complement was made up of 54 Crew Members and 26 Naval Armed Guard. There were no survivors. It is a known fact that three lifeboats got away from the ship with survivors. These boats were seen by three and possibly a fourth escort ship but survivors were not picked up. None of the men were seen or heard from again. The U-91 was sunk on February 25, 1944 in Mid Atlantic by HMS AFFLECK (K-462), HMS GORE (K-481) and HMS GOULD (K-476). There were 16 survivors. Their survivors were picked up.

The Tanker, S.S. CONNECTICUT, was torpedoed by the Motor Torpedo Boat LS-4 from the German Raider MICHEL at 0210 ship's time on April 23, 1942 in the South Atlantic while en route alone from Port Arthur, Texas to Capetown, South Africa with a cargo of 100 Octane gasoline. Her complement was 43 Crew Members and 11 Naval Armed Guard. Of this number, 24 Crew Members were killed in the attack, one died on the raider, two died in a Japanese prison camp, and 16 were repatriated to the United States after hostilities ceased, having survived the cruelties of the Japanese prison camps. The entire Armed Guard was killed in the explosion of the second torpedo while still on board the ship. The MICHEL was sunk on October 17, 1943 at 0100 by the US TARPON (SS-175) while approaching Tokyo Bay. Two hundred and sixty-three men were lost.

The S.S. Stag Hound, typical ship

The SS Sinclair Rubilene - Picture furnished by Jay Larson of Sandy, Utah

The S.S. Aquarius in rough seas in 1944. Picture by Gerry Greaves

The S.S. Aquarius Picture provided by Gerry Greaves

The S.S. Claymont Victory crew in 1944. Picture given to Gerry Greaves by Natale Joseph D'Oria

German sub watches burning tanker before armed guard was aboard

Torpedoed, down at the stern, still making way

Crew abandons torpedoed ship

The Tanker SS Wallowa en route to Pearl Harbor with high octane in the cargo tanks and planes as deck cargo.

20 MM gun amidships with 1/4 " steel for protection

Lockheed Hudson bombers protect a convoy near shore

S.S. Charles Sumner, one of the ships Tom Bowerman served aboard.

Moore McCormack's SS MORMAC SWAN

S.S. Lewis Luckenbach, one of the five ships Tom Bowerman served aboard.

S.S. Esso Providence, one of the five ships Tom Bowerman served aboard. The Providence was bombed during the war.

S.S. Esso New Orleans

Liberty Ship collage made by PLCM Graphics Company using files from the Jeremiah O'Brien web site. To see all the information on the O'Brien go to URL http://www.cascobay.com/history/libship.htm and it is truly worth a visit.

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