FOREIGN FLAG VESSELS UNDER CONTROL
OF THE WAR SHIPPING ADMINISTRATION LOST OR
DAMAGED DURING WORLD WAR II.  *=Includes info from Ships of ESSO Fleet

This section contains a brief summary and account of 67 Panamanian and Honduran flag merchant ships lost or damaged during World War II upon which American Merchant Seamen and U.S. Naval Armed Guard were lost or wounded. These ships were under the control of the War Shipping Administration representing the Government of the United States.
Most of these ships, freighters and tankers, were interned in a U.S. port and were eventually taken over by the U.S. Government under an Executive Order, Public Law #101. These ships were interned in a U.S. port at the outbreak of hostilities in Europe and during the years preceding America's entry into the war.
They were eventually allotted to the U.S. Maritime Commission who turned them over to the War Shipping Administration for operation. The War Shipping Administration in turn assigned them to American steamship companies under a General Agency Agreement. Upon activation, these ships were registered under the Flag of Panama.
In addition to these ships, the War Shipping Administration bareboat and time chartered many other ships that were already registered under the Panamanian or Honduran Flag. These ships were owned by American steamship operators such as United Fruit, Standard Oil of New Jersey, and Socony Vacuum Oil Company.
These ships were manned by Merchant Seamen of many nationalities including Americans. Many of them had U.S. Naval Armed Guard aboard.
Only ships carrying American seamen as part of the crew and/or a U.S. Naval Armed Guard contingent are listed. In addition, I have listed the names of all those American Merchant Seamen who were lost or wounded on these ships. These men were never listed as lost by the U.S. Coast Guard as they were crew members on a foreign flag vessel.
The following is not a complete list of the foreign flag ships lost or damaged during World War II that were under the control of the War Shipping Administration. There were many others lost that did not carry any Americans in the merchant crew but did have U.S. Naval Armed Guard aboard. Data on these ships was not available.

The SS AFRICANDER, ex Italian SS AUSSA, was taken over by the U.S. Government under an Executive Order, Public Law 101, at the port of New York on September 11, 1941. The War Shipping Administration allotted the ship to the Waterman Steamship Agency to be operated under a GAA agreement at the port of New York on October 20, 1941.
The SS AFRICANDER was attacked by German aircraft on September 13, 1942 at 1550 GCT, about 60 miles south of Spitzbergen, while en route from Loch Ewe, Scotland to Archangel, USSR, with a cargo of Machinery plus six tanks and 5 planes on deck, while proceeding in Convoy PQ 18 (#94).
At 1550 GCT, two torpedoes dropped from torpedo planes at an altitude of about 150 feet, struck the ship on the starboard side aft of #3 hold causing the ship to settle slowly by the stern. Engines were secured at once. There was no fire. Stearing gear was put out of commission by the explosion and the water tight bulkheads were ruptured. The ship went down by the stern within a few minutes of the attack.
There were no casualties among the merchant crew of 35 men. All hands abandoned ship in lifeboats despite machine gun fire from aircraft. The survivors were picked up by escort vessels which took them to Scotland via Iceland. At Scotland they embarked on HMS QUEEN MARY arriving Boston on October 15, 1942.
The AFRICANDER had departed New York on April 11th and arrived the Clyde River via Halifax on May 9th. She left the Clyde on May 18th and proceeded to Iceland arriving there on May 25th. She remained anchored there until August 3rd when she was ordered back to the Clyde and then to Loch Ewe. On September 2nd she left Loch Ewe in Convoy PQ 18.
The Master of this ship, Bjarne A. Lia, died while he was Master of the Panamanian flag tanker, SS BOSTONIAN. On August 14, 1944, there was a Benzol gas leak in the pumproom endangering the safety of the ship and crew. He descended into the pumproom to plug the leak but he was overcome by the fumes and died. For this valiant effort, he was awarded the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal posthumously on November 14, 1944.
Also on board was an Armed Guard (U.S.N.) contingent of 11 men. They all survived.

The SS ALCEDO, a coal burning freighter, under the Panamanian flag, was taken over by the U.S. in the port of New York on July 21, 1941 at 1200 hours. This action taken under Public Law #101. This vessel was idle until January 17, 1942 when she was turned over to the Marine Transport Line for operation under a GAA contract. She was subsequently operated by two other companies stated above before she was lost.
The SS ALCEDO was torpedoed by the German U-1022 (Hans-Joachim Ernst) at 2300 local time on February 28,1945, while en route from Loch Ewe, Scotland to Reykjavik, in Convoy UR-155 (#22), with a cargo of 1767 tons of Army and Navy supplies plus U.S. mail. Position of the sinking was 64-00N./22-46 W.
The ALCEDO had departed Boston on January 20, 1945 and arrived Belfast, Northern Ireland on February 6 to take bunkers. Leaving Belfast on February 11 she arrived Loch Ewe the next day and departed Loch Ewe on February 22nd.
The ship's complement consisted of 32 crew members, 5 U.S. Naval Armed Guard, and 1 Navy security officer. Three crew members were lost and 8 injured. One of those lost was an Able Seaman who had been caught in the safety net hanging over the starboard side and when the ship listed heavily to starboard he was trapped and drowned. Another A.B. fell into the hole on deck which was caused by the explosion of the torpedo. The 3rd crew member, a Messman, went down with the ship when he refused to jump overboard to be picked up by a lifeboat. There were 3 Americans in the crew plus 15 other nationalities.
There were 5 ships plus 5 escorts in the convoy. A torpedo struck on the starboard side between #3 and #4 hatches. The force of the explosion sheared off the mainmast and it fell to port. The propeller shaft was broken stopping the engine. There was immediate flooding of #4 hold causing the ship to sink by the stern, disappearing under the sea at 2325 local time.
The ship was abandoned at 2315 under the orders of the Master in 2 boats and 2 rafts. Survivors were picked up at 0140 March 1 by HMS HOME GUARD (T 394) and landed at Reykjavik at 0600 the same day.

The U-1022 surrendered at the end of hostilities and was scuttled by the British in "Operation Deadlight".

The SS ANEROID, a Panamanian flag freighter fueled by coal, was taken over by the U.S. on September 3, 1941 at the port of Norfolk under an Executive Order. In turn the ship was turned over to the above named steamship company by the War Shipping Administration on September 9th for operation under a GAA contract. The ship was time-chartered to Alcoa SS Company at the time of the loss.
The SS ANEROID was torpedoed by the German U-175 (Heinrich Bruns) on October 2, 1942 at 0500 EWT while en route from Paramaribo to Trinidad with a cargo of 3348 tons of Bauxite. The attack took place at 8-24 N./59-12 W. which was about 130 miles off Georgetown, B.G.
On board was a complement of 40 merchant crew and 9 U.S. Naval Armed Guard. Five crew members and one Navy gunner were lost.
At 0500 EWT a torpedo struck on the starboard side at #4 hatch just abaft the engine room. The explosion opened a huge hole in the bulkhead between #4 hold and #5 hold causing this hold to flood. #5 hold was empty to give the ship the proper draft to cross the Surinam Bar. The ship sank at 0515 EWT.
During the lowering of the two port side boats, both of them got fouled up in wires hanging from the davits. These wires had tangled in the hand rails which made further lowering impossible. Eventually #2 boat was cleared away and launched with an unknown number of men. After it was launched it drifted down the port side into rigging from the toppled mainmast and #4 cargo booms, causing #2 boat to capsize throwing the occupants into the water. They were in turn picked up by #1 boat.
As #3 boat had been safely launched, all the survivors were in the two boats. The Master, who was in #3 boat, ordered the 3rd Mate to take charge of #1 boat. Lifeboat #3 which contained the Master plus 24 crew members and 4 Navy men, was picked up by the Yugoslav freighter SS IVAN at 1700 EWT on October 2nd and landed at Georgetown, B.G. Lifeboat #1, containing 10 crew and 4 Navy men, was picked up by the Honduran SS OLAMBALA at 0800 on October 4th and landed at Paramaribo, D.G. on October 9th.

The U-175 (Bruns) was sunk by the USCG SPENCER in position 48-40 N./21-20 W. on April 17, 1943. There were 13 members of the U-175 lost including the Captain. They were killed by gunfire from the SPENCER.

The SS AMAPALA, was under the command of Captain Harold Christiansen, an American citizen, who lived in Brooklyn, NY. He was an 18-year veteran of the company and had held a Master's license for 8 years.
The SS AMPALA sailed from New Orleans on May 14, 1942 at 1300 for Cristobal and La Ceiba, Honduras loaded with general cargo. The Master was ordered to anchor at Pilottown about 1900 that night. At 0600 on the 15th she left the anchorage and cleared Southwest Pass around 0730.
About 1630 on the same day (15th), a submarine was seen coming up fast on the starboard quarter, about 4 miles away. At that time the ship was making 15 knots and zigzagging. The Master ordered a course change to put the ship's stern to the sub. After this the Master went to the wireless room and ordered the Chief Radio Operator to send out an SOS and SSS four times with the ship's position which was 26-40 N./88-17 W.
At 1635, the ship came under shell and machine gun fire from the U-507 (Harro Schacht). The Chief Engineer gave the ship all the speed he could but the Master soon realized that the sub was hitting the ship with both shell and machine gun fire. The starboard side was being hit bad and at 1655 the ship was feeling the full effect of the attack. The shell fire had destroyed #3 lifeboat and a Fireman had received several shrapnel wounds in the abdomen and both legs. At 1705, the Master ordered the engines stopped and for the crew to abandon ship. The sub continued the attack with machine gun fire.
At the time #3 boat was struck with shell fire, 5 men who were standing in it were thrown into the water. Lifeboat #4, which had been launched first, rowed around the stern to the starboard side and picked up these 5 men. Lifeboat #1, the Chief Mate's boat, was then launched. The Master's boat, #2 boat, was the last to be launched. The wounded Fireman was placed in the Master's boat. This boat was very crowded because most of the crew had gone to the port side to get away from the machine gun fire. During the launching of the boats shells continued to strike the ship causing severe damage.
Ten men were transferred from #2 boat into #1 boat. Shortly after the men abandoned ship, a plane appeared about 1900 and sighted the sub. The plane attacked the sub at once dropping a load of bombs or depth charges. The plane remained in the area for an hour then left.
Jose Rodriguez, the badly wounded Fireman, was placed alongside the Master in the boat. He continued to bleed badly but made no complaint of pain. He remained conscious until 1945 at which time he gave no further sign of life. He died at 2000 and was buried the next morning in the sea.
On May 16th, a Coast Guard plane passed overhead and flew to the east to hail a fishing schooner to direct it to the boats. At that time the AMPALA was still afloat but her whole after deck was awash. Shortly after 1000, a Coast Guard plane appeared, landed on the water and took two injured men to Pensacola Naval Hospital.
All of the remaining crew were picked up by the F/V GONZALEZ out of Mobile. It was at this time that the Master decided to bury Mr. Rodriguez at sea as the schooner was so small. The survivors were landed at Burrwood Naval Base on Sunday at 0900 on May 17th. The ship was still afloat when the crew was picked up.
The AMAPALA was taken in tow by the USCG Boutwell but she sank while in tow about 1800 CWT on May 16th.
The AMAPALA was unarmed and sailing unescorted. Mr. Rodriguez was a Spanish citizen. He was the only one lost.
There were 12 American citizens in the crew of the AMAPALA. Their names are listed below but outside of the Master, there are no records of where they lived. There is no official crew list on file for this ship only a Crew List for the Panama Canal authorities which gives only names and nationalities. It did not list positions of the crew. Some positions were obtained from statements given by survivors.

The MS ARRIAGA, a small oil tanker, was purchased by the Lago Petroleum Corporation (subsidiary of Standard Oil of New Jersey) on April 2, 1942 from the Dolomite 3 Corporation, a subsidiary of Petroleum Heat and Power Company of Baltimore. The vessel was registered under the flag of Panama but carried an American crew.
The Panamanian flag tanker, MS ARRIAGA, was torpedoed by the German U-68 (Karl-Friedrich Mertens) on June 23, 1942 at 1235 CWT while en route from Baltimore to Aruba carrying 3100 tons of fresh water for the refinery at Aruba. She was in convoy from Baltimore to the Yucatan Channel. At this time the escort left. This was June 18th. From that time on she was on her own.
On board was 23 merchant crew and 2 Naval Armed Guard. The Chief Engineer was killed when the torpedo exploded directly under his room.
A torpedo struck the tanker on the port side just forward of the after house ripping a huge hole in the side of the ship, destroying the port lifeboat, and blowing a hole in the engine room bulkhead. Also put the steering gear out of action causing the ship to swing 90° before stopping. The sub surfaced 100 yards from the ARRIAGA. The 2 Navy gunners fired the 6 pound gun on the after part of the tanker with no results. The position of the sinking was 13-08 N./72-16 W. or about 50 miles off the coast of Colombia. The ship sank in 10 minutes.
The crew abandoned ship in the starboard boat and one raft.There were four on the raft and they were taken aboard the lifeboat. On June 25th, the boat was taken in tow by a Colombian fishing boat which dropped the tow near the beach of a town called Pajaro. The crew rowed the remaining distance to the beach. The boat was then towed by a fishing vessel to a town named Rio Hacha. At this place the crew was taken care of by the British consul. Eventually they were taken to Barranquilla, and then by plane to Miami.

The U-68 (Lauzemis) was sunk on April 10, 1944 north of Madeira in position 33-25 N./18-59 W. by aircraft from the USS GUADALCANAL (CVE 60). There was only one survivor from the U-68 who was rescued by the U.S. Navy. 56 others in the crew were lost.

The Honduran flag freighter, SS BAJA CALIFORNIA, was torpedoed by the German U-84 (Horst Uphoff) at 2345 EWT on July 18, 1942 while en route frorn New Orleans to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala with a full load of general cargo. The attack took place 40 miles NxE from Rebecca Shoals (25-14 N./82-27 W.)
She carried a complement of 32 in the merchant crew and 5 U.S. Navy Armed Guard. Three (3) crew members were lost and 10 hospitalized with serious injuries. The Chief Engineer suffered multiple injuries including a broken leg.
The ship was struck by two torpedoes. The first hit at the forward end of #1 hatch on the port side and the second hit at the forward end of #3 hatch abaft the Chief Engineer's room. She took a port list at once. Within 10 minutes the ship had turned on its side and disappeared.
The port boat (#2) was destroyed by the explosion. The starboard boat was launched along with a large raft and a small donut type raft. Around noon of the next day July 19th, a large plane circled overhead but did not see the survivors. At day-light on the 20th a fishing schooner that had seen the flares fired just before daylight headed towards the boat and raft. This boat stopped to tell the Master there was a small raft with one man aboard. The fishing vessel then proceeded to the raft and picked up the man and then returned to pick up the others from the boat and raft. The name of the fishing vessel was SAN IGNACIO out of Cuba. Survivors were taken to the Havana Naval Station arriving there at noon on July 21st.

The U-84 (Uphoff) was sunk August 26, 1943 by aircraft (VC-13) from the USS CORE (CVE-13) in position 27-00 N./37-03 W. There were no survivors.

The SS Ballot left Reykjavik on March 20, 1942 in Convoy PQ13. On March 25th, a gale came up from the Northeast and by forenoon of the 26th it was blowing Force 8 with poor visibility. The gale continued to blow for the next 36 hours. By daylight of the 27th, the convoy was scattered all over the ocean. On March 28th 6 merchant ships found each other and formed a new convoy with the armed whaler Silja. Later on the 28th March a Messerschmidt 110 dropped 5 or 6 bombs, causing much damage in the engineroom. (steamleaks). The engines were stopped. According to the masters statement, half of the crew demanded to go in the lifeboats while the other half promised to stay aboard and try to bring the ship to port. 16 men abandoned the ship in the port boat. . They were picked up later by the Silja. The engineers were able to stop most of the leaks. The Ballot got underway to join the other ships, but discovered problems with the stearing gear and had to stop again to switch over to manual steering, and proceed their voyage. On the 30th two towboats brought the ship in. The ship left Murmansk in convoy QP11.
The 16 crewmembers that were picked up by the Silja. On the 29th the 16 crewmembers boarded the Induna. On the 30th in position 70-55N/37-18E the Induna was struck by a torpedo fired from the U-376. After a second torpedo the Induna sank within 30 minutes. The starboard lifeboat #1 had 32 survivors, the port lifeboat #2 had only 9 survivors, the 3rd mate of the Ballot took charge of this boat. The starboard boat #1 was picked up by a Russian minesweeper, only 17 of the 32 were still alive. The port boat #2 was picked up by an Russian patrol boat., two of them later died in a Murmansk hospital. Of the 16 men who left the Ballot, 11 lost their lives and 5 survived. (9 Ballot crewmembers and 2 british gunners)
(For more details about the Ballot: see A Careless word.. a Needless sinking (7th edition))

The Panamanian flag tanker, SS BEACONLIGHT, was torpedoed by the German U-160 (Georg Lassen) at 0316 ship time on July 16, 1942 while en route from Cape Town (departed June 21) to Trinidad in ballast unescorted. Armament consisted of a 12 pound gun aft and 2 machine guns (.30 cal.) one on each side of the bridge.
On board was a merchant crew of 39 plus 2 British gunners.The majority of the crew were American citizens. One crew member, an A.B., was lost.
A torpedo struck the tanker on the starboard side between #8 and #9 tanks. Position of the attack was 10-59 N./61-07 W. or about 10 miles NW Galera Point, Trinidad. About 5 minutes later a 2nd torpedo struck on the same side in the engine room. The extent of the damage was not known as the ship began to sink immediately. The ship had to be sunk by the Dutch ROODE ZEE, to prevent her being a menace to navigation.
The crew abandoned ship in three lifeboats. They were picked up about 0900 by a small passenger vessel, the SS TRINIDAD, and landed at Port of Spain around 1700.

The U-160 (v. Pommer-Esche) was sunk south of the Azores (33-54 N./27-13 W.) by aircraft from the USS SANTEE (CVE- 29) on July 14, 1943. There were no survivors.

The freighter, MS BUCHANAN, ex MS LEXA MAERSK, was purchased by the War Shipping Administration on August 4, 1941 and immediately turned over to the Grace Line on a Bareboat Charter in the port of Baltimore and placed under the Panamanian flag. The charter to the Grace Line fell through so the ship was awarded to the American Export Line under a GAA charter on August 1, 1941 at the port of Baltimore. Export Line operated the ship until October 23, 1942 when she was turned over to the Isbrandtsen SS Company at the port of New York under the same type of agreement. This company was operating the ship when she was lost.
The MS BUCHANAN was torpedoed by the German U-224 (Hans-Carl Kosbadt) at 1935 GCT on November 12, 1942 in position 53-06 N./25-54 W. while en route independently from New York to Liverpool with a cargo of fuel oil in special tanks, 5000 bags of U.S. Mail, and a deck load of aircraft and invasion barges. She was making a speed of 15 knots and although not zigzagging at the time of the attack she had previously been on zigzag patterns.
The complement of the BUCHANAN consisted of 73 persons. A merchant crew of 46, 15 Navy Armed Guard, and 12 passengers who were members of a U.S. Army Air Corps Unit. All hands survived but several had to be hospitalized for exposure. Nine of the crew were U.S. citizens.
On November 16, the MS LIGHTNING picked up survivors in one boat containing 10 crew, 5 U.S. Navy gunners, and 3 passengers. They were landed at Liverpool on November 21st. HMS LEAMINGTON picked up another boat load of survivors on November 20 and took them to Londonderry, N.I. In this boat were 10 crew members, 5 U.S. Navy gunners, and 2 passengers. HMS CLARE picked up the other two boats on November 21 and took them to Londonderry arriving the 22nd. These boats contained 26 crew members, 5 Navy gunners, and 7 passengers.
A torpedo struck the ship on the port side at #5 hold. The entire port side in the area of #4 and #5 holds was blown out. The two hatches were ablaze. The propeller shaft was broken stopping the engine. A 2nd torpedo fired after the ship had been abandoned which struck in the forepeak. The ship remained on an even keel finally sinking about 2100 GCT on the same day as the attack.
The ship was abandoned in 4 boats. They remained at the spot of the attack until the morning of the next day (13th) when the Master ordered the boats to set sail and head for Ireland but a strong wind blew up separating the boats.

The coal burning freighter, SS BUSHRANGER, was seized by the U.S. while under the Danish flag on June 6, 1941 under an Executive Order.
The SS BUSHRANGER was torpedoed by the German U-107 (Harald Gelhaus) in position 20-20 N./81-30 W. at 2030 EWT on May 31, 1942 while en route from a port in Dutch Guiana to Key West for orders via St. Thomas, with a full cargo of Bauxite. The ship was unescorted although there was a Naval (U.S.) Armed Guard aboard.
The BUSHRANGER had left New York with a full load of general cargo for South American ports. She left St. Thomas on May 26th. The date leaving New York was April 6, 1942.
On board was a complement of 44 men, 37 merchant crew and 6 U.S. Navy Armed Guard. Seventeen (17) merchant crew were lost, 11 of them were American citizens. No Navy men were lost.
No boats were launched due to the rapid sinking of the ship. Four rafts were cut loose. Crew members jumped overboard and got aboard the four rafts. Six of them clung to a floating vegetable bin which had floated free. These six eventually climbed on a raft on which was the Chief Mate. This raft was picked up June 7th by a U.S. Navy Catalina and the survivors taken to Kingston, Jamaica.
The four rafts stayed together for three days but on the 4th day, the raft in charge of the Chief Mate disappeared. The other 3 rafts containing 19 survivors were picked up by the USCG NIKE on June 12 in position 21-00 N./83-30 W. and taken to Key West.
Survivors on these three rafts reported that on June 5th at 0200 EWT during good visibility, a large plane circled three times, dropped a flare and then disappeared to the west.
The periscope of the sub was first sighted at 1040 EWT but it disappeared. At 1655 EWT, the tracks of two torpedoes were seen crossing the starboard bow close to the ship. At this time the Master commenced zigzagging and sent out three SSS warnings but received no answer.

The U-107 (Fritz) was sunk on August 18, 1944 west of La Rochelle by RAF Squadron 201. Position 46-46 N./3-39 W. There were no survivors.

The Panamanian flag tanker, MS C.O. STILLMAN, was torpedoed by the German U-68 (Karl-Friedrich Mertens) at 2115 ship time on June 5, 1942 while en route alone, from Aruba to New York with a cargo of 125,812 barrels of Fuel Oil and 39 tons of dry cargo, in position 17-30 N./68-20 W. or about 60 miles SW of Puerto Rico.
On board was a merchant crew of 47, 8 U.S. Naval Armed Guard, and 3 Workaways from other tankers. Three (3) crew members were lost.
The first torpedo struck on the starboard side abaft the midship house setting the after end of the house on fire. The Master ordered the ship stopped and for the men to abandon ship. About 2135 EWT another torpedo hit the ship on the starboard side forward of the engine room showering the deck with fuel oil and debris. At that time those remaining aboard jumped over the side and climbed aboard rafts. The ship sunk 2 minutes after the 2nd torpedo hit.
The ship was abandoned in #3 and #4 lifeboats and 4 rafts. There were 25 survivors on the 4 rafts consisting of 22 crew and 3 Navy gunners. They were rescued by Coast Guard Patrol Boat #83310 on June 7th just before dark after being notified by an Army plane which had spotted the rafts. They were landed at Ponce, P.R. at 0500 on June 8, 1942 and repatriated on the SS SEMINOLE.
Those in the two boats drifted until the dawn of June 6 and then set sail for the Dominican Republic. Boat #3 with 17 survivors landed at the Bay of Yuma. Boat #4 with 13 survivors landed at La Romana.

The SS CAPIRA, was Time Chartered by the War Shipping Administration at 11:25 AM on March 19, 1942 in the port of Boston from the United States Line.
The Panamanian flag freighter, SS CAPIRA, was torpedoed by the German U-609 (Klaus Rudloff) at 0610 ship time on
August 31, 1942 in position 57-11 N./33-45 W., while en route in Convoy SC-97 from New York to Glasgow with general cargo including trucks, tractors, steel mats, bull dozers, and 250 bags of U.S. Mail.
On board the CAPIRA was a merchant crew of 41 and a U.S. Naval Armed Guard of 13. Four (4) crew members were lost. There were 3 Americans in the merchant crew. None were lost.
At 0605, the MS BRONXVILLE (Dutch), which was located about 4 points off the starboard bow of the CAPIRA, was torpedoed. The alarm bell on the CAPIRA sounded and all hands were ordered on deck. Five minutes later a torpedo struck the CAPIRA at #4 hold on the starboard side near the after end of the engine room. Flooding of those spaces occurred at once. The ship began to settle by the stern sinking around 0625.
The ship was abandoned under orders from the Master. Three boats and two rafts were lowered to the water. One boat capsized. Those in this boat got aboard other boats and rafts. At 0615, the rescue ship SS PERTH, picked up 33 survivors from Lifeboats #1 and #2 and a raft. A Corvette, name unknown, picked up 16 men from wreckage and a raft. All were landed at Gourock, Scotland on September 6th.

The U-609 (Rudloff) was sunk February 7, 1943 in position 55-17 N./26-33 W. by the Free French Corvette LOBELIA, ex HMS K-05. There were no survivors.

The Panamanian flag freighter, SS CARDINA, was torpedoed by the Italian submarine ARCHIMEDE (G. Gazzano) at 1245 local tirne on June 15, 1942 in position 4-45 N./40-55 W. or about 500 miles NE of Salines, Brazil, while en route from Buenos Aires to New York with a cargo of 7000 tons of Linseed in bulk. She was unescorted and unarmed and not zigzagging.
She carried a crew of 34 and all survived. Among the crew were 17 Americans.
The first torpedo hit at 1245 on the port quarter at #5 hold. The explosion caused the CARDINA to take an immediate list. The crew abandoned ship a few minutes later. When the ship did not appear to sink all hands returned to the ship within an hour. After a few repairs, the engine was started and the ship got underway. About 1730 local time the engines were stopped and the crew abandoned ship again.
It was at this time the ARCHIMEDE fired another torpedo which struck on the port side tearing a huge hole in the hull. In addition, the sub surfaced and commenced firing her deck gun. Three direct hits were made on the ship's hull.
The ship was abandoned in four boats. The Master ordered all boats to head for the Brazillian coast. On June 22nd landfall was made at Salines. From there they were taken to Para (Belem) aboard the SS COMMANDANTE RIPPER where they arrived at 1000 on June 23rd. Seventeen of the crew were repatriated to Miami on June 8th via aircraft. The remainder were flown to Miami July 21st on a USAAF plane.

The SS CASTILLA, was Time chartered to the War Shipping Administiation on June 2, 1942 at 0400 in the port of Mobile.
The Honduran flag freight and refrigerator ship, SS CASTILLA, was torpedoed by the German U-167 (Harold Gelhaus) at 2110 CWT on June 6, 1942 in position 20/15 N./83-18 W. while en route from Mobile to Kingston, Jamaica with a cargo of flour.
On board was a complement of 59 men consisting of 50 crew members, 7 U.S. Naval Armed Guard, and two passengers. A total of 22 crew and 2 Navy gunners were lost. Twenty-three of those lost went down with the ship. One man died in a lifeboat and was buried at sea.
One torpedo struck on the port side just forward of #3 hatch. An uncontrollable fire broke out 5' to 6' below the water line in #3 hatch. The ship settled by the head at once with a list to port and then settled by the stern and sank with the bow straight up. She sank so quickly there was no time to launch the lifeboats, only time to release 4 rafts.
The 35 survivors were picked up by the USCG NIKE (WPC 112), after 6 days on the rafts, on June 12 in position 21-03 N./83-30 W. They were landed at Key West.
The U-167 (Kurt Sturm) was depth-charged off the Canary Islands by RAF Sqdr. 233 in position 27-47 N./15-00 W. on April 5, 1943. The next day, April 6th, the crew scuttled the U-167 and were rescued by the U-455 and U-518. They were landed in Spain and eventually returned to France.

The Panamanian flag freighter, SS CARMONA, was torpedoed by the German U-160 (Georg Lassen) at 1127 local time on July 18, 1942 in position 10-58 N./61-20 W. (SE of Trinidad) while en route from an Argentine port to a U.S. port with a cargo of 7138 tons of Linseed. The ship was sailing alone and unarmed.
On board was a crew of 35 men. Four were killed outright by the explosion of the first torpedo that wrecked the engine room.
The CARMONA was struck by 4 torpedoes, all striking on the starboard side. The first hit at 1127 just aft of midships wrecking the engine room. A 2nd hit at #2 hatch about 10 minutes later. The 3rd and 4th hit about 5 minutes later. The ship turned on her side and sunk at ! 200 noon.
The Master ordered abandon ship after the first torpedo struck. Two boats were launched. The survivors were picked up by a U.S. Navy Patrol Boat which was about 2 miles inshore of the CARMONA when she was hit. The name of the Navy ship is not known. The survivors were transferred to the USS YPC 68 and taken to Port of Spain.

The U-160 (von Pommer Esche) was sunk south of the Azores by aircraft from the USS SANTEE (CVE-29 on July 14, 1943. There were no survivors.

The Panamanian flag tanker, SS CHARLES PRATT, was torpedoed without warning by the German U-68 (H-G yon Stockhausen) at 1455 local time on December 21, 1940 in position 8-26 N./16-51 W. while en route from Aruba to Freetown with a cargo of 96,069 barrels of Fuel Oil. This attack took place almost a year before Pearl Harbor. The PRA TF was about 220 miles from Freetown, Sierra Leone. She was unarmed and flying the flag of a neutral nation. At the time of the attack in broad daylight, the flag of Panama was flying from the stem, the stack was marked with the Panama Transport insignia, and the Panamanian flag was painted on both sides of the hull.
The ship was manned by an American crew of 42 men. Two of the crew were lost. On October 20, 1939 the registry of this ship was changed from the U.S. to Panama but kept the American crew.
The first torpedo hit on the starboard side at #6 tank blowing out the bulkheads in #6 main tank and #4 summer tank and also the deck plates in the way of the pumproom. The explosion showered oil and debris clear to the top of the mast and over the boat and poop deck. The ship caught fire at once and burning oil flowed into the starboard alleyway. Steam smothering lines were opened but to no avail as all lines were destroyed in the pumproom.
As the fire was gaining, the Master ordered abandon ship.Lifeboats #2 & #4 were launched. After the ship had been abandoned a second torpedo struck just forward of the midship house blowing burning oil and debris several hundred feet in the air and showering the ocean with oil and steel fragments, some just missing #2 boat. This explosion put out the fire. The Chief Mate was picked up 40 minutes after the ship was abandoned by #2 boat which was in charge of the Master. He had been blown overboard by the explosion along with an Ordinary Seaman. The Chief Mate suffered various injuries including a broken leg. The Ordinary Seaman was never found.
Lifeboat #2 was picked up on December 25th at 1350 local time by the MV GASCONY and landed at Freetown. Boat #4 was picked up by the SS LANGLEEGORSE on December 26th and landed at Freetown.

The CHENANGO, was seized by the U.S. from the Finnish Government and turned over to the War Shipping Administration at the port of New York at 1000 EST on December 27, 1941. On December 30th the ship was turned over to Moore McCormack Line at 1200 Noon EST for operation under a GAA agreement.
The coal burning freighter, SS CHENANGO, was torpedoed by the German U-84 (Horst Uphoff) at 1900 EWT on April 20, 1942 in position 36-11 N./75-07 W. (about 60 miles SE of Cape Henry), while en route, alone and unarmed, from Rio de Janiero to Baltimore via St. Thomas with a full load of Manganese Ore at a speed of 9 Knots.
One torpedo hit on the port side between #4 & #5 hatches blasting a huge hole in the hull. Combined with the full load of heavy ore this cased the ship to go down in less than a minute.
On board was a crew of 32 men. This crew was made up of 12 different nationalities, a regular United Nations. There were Americans, Danes, Norwegians, Estonians, Swedes, Chileans, French, Portuguese, Canadians, Colombians, Belgians, and Irish in the crew. Of these 32 men there was only one survivor, a 24-year-old Fireman from Ireland. Thirteen of the lost were American citizens.
The Fireman was one of two men who managed to reach a liferaft which had floated free when the ship sank. One boat was launched but it capsized. The other boat went down with the ship. The raft on which the two men found themselves had been condemned in New York. All the regulation rafts on the ship had been improperly stowed on deck instead of in quick release racks. When the ship sank, these rafts were destroyed. The only supplies on the raft was water and a fishing line. The two survivors were on the raft for 12 days.
The raft that had been condemned in New York, holding the two exhausted and starving men, was sighted by a U.S. Army plane on May 2nd at 0800 in position 34-30 N./74-25 W. At 1400 on the same day, they were rescued by a Coast Guard PBY aircraft. For nearly two weeks the men had seen nothing but sea and sky plus those patrol planes that passed within a half mile of the bobbing raft.

There is some question whether or not Arthur Hutson was on the ship when it was torpedoed. Maritime Insurance files show he was a casualty and war risk insurance was paid to his wife. A crew list made up and sent to the home office shows he was not aboard when the ship left St. Thomas.

Statement of TERRANCE J. BRADLEY, sole survivor of the SS CHENANGO

We were about six days out from St. Thomas when the torpedo hit. I was in my quarters in the forecastle with three other AB's and an Ordinary Seaman plus a Fireman. The lights went out and we were thrown around the room. We ran forward and up the escape hatch to the poop deck where we were covered in water up to our waist. I was the first one out and I don't know what happened to me but I think I was drawn under by the suction of the ship as it sank. I did not have a life jacket on.
In about half an hour I got on a raft which floated near me.I swam to the raft and got aboard. No one else was on it.
A few minutes after I got on the raft, Joseph Dieltins, the Chief Steward, swam to the raft and I helped him aboard. A few minutes later one of the Estonian A.B.'s was swimming toward our raft but when he was within 25 yards of the raft, he just disappeared under the water. Another Estonian A.B. was clinging to a hatch cover some distance from the raft. I don't know what became of him.
The 2nd Engineer, Sverre Ellingsen, was holding on to a hatch cover as the sub cruised among the men in the water and I heard him cursing the U-Boat. Carlos Rodriguez, an O.S., was cfinging to a hatch cover and screaming. I did not see any of them go under the water nor did I see any other member of the crew at this time. We were the only ones who got on the raft. A heavy sea was running and there was an offshore wind which reached gale force by morning.
The following morning I could not see any wreckage or bodies and the gale was still blowing. The raft started to break up. Dieltins and I had to keep working to keep it together.
There was no food on the raft, only a water keg holding about 10 gallons. There were no oars, no sail, and no anchor. This raft had been condemned in New York and the equipment and provisions from that raft had been placed on the other rafts on the CHENANGO.
Four or five days later, we had some calm weather for 2 days. There was a line on the raft with a hook on it. I baited this with a crab which we got in sea weed. I managed to catch a large fish about 5 feet long and weighing about 100 pounds. Before I could get this fish on the raft, a shark took half of it. We tried to eat some of it but it made us sick.
On the second calm day, Dieltins started to go crazy. He wanted to make a cake and acted as if he was preparing the meals on the ship. A few days later he lay down on the raft and would not get up. I gave him water from time to time. He talked as if he were insane.
We did not see any ships but several planes passed close by. About the 11th day a U.S. Army plane dropped us some food in a rubber bag. We both had some chocolate.
The next morning, the plane was back again and circled overhead for 4 or 5 hours. It dropped a small package but it was too far away for us to reach it. Then I must have gone to sleep for awhile because the next thing I knew a Coast Guard PBY flew over us, dropped smoke bombs, and then landed and taxied toward the raft.
Finally a line was thrown from the plane which I made fast to the raft. At this time, Dieltins jumped overboard and I had to pull him back on the raft. As the plane neared the raft, several men grabbed both of us, Dieltins first and then me, taking us aboard the plane. We were taken to the Marine Hospital in Norfolk and placed in the same room on Saturday afternoon. On Monday morning, Mr. Dieltins died in that room.
The Master, Rasmussen, was a very strict skipper. He had ordered the ship blacked out even before sunset. We were zigzagging too, making about 8 knots when we were hit. The CHENANGO went down very fast after the torpedo hit, easily within a minute.

The Panamanian flag freighter, SS COLD HARBOR, was torpedoed by the German U-502 (Jurgen von Rosenstiel) at 2210 EWT on June 14, 1942 while en route from New York to Persian Gulf ports with a cargo of 6200 tons, including 28 tanks, airplanes, and ammunition. She had left New York on May 24th in convoy and then spent several days anchored in Chesapeake Bay awaiting another convoy to Trinidad. While the convoy was located between Yucatan and the Panama Canal she was ordered to proceed to Trinidad alone.
The ship's complement consisted of 42 crew members of many nationalities including 4 Americans. Also on board was a U.S. Naval Armed Guard contingent of 10 men. Six crew members were lost, one of them lost on the SS KAHUKU, the ship that rescued the survivors but was herself torpedoed. Three of the Navy men were lost, one of them from the SS KAHUKU. No Americans in the merchant crew were lost.
As the ship proceeded to Port of Spain and while in position 11-40 N.762-55 W. (about 100 miles NW of Trinidad) a torpedo struck the ship on the starboard side just forward of the bridge. The explosion caused the ammo in #2 hold to blow up. The ship took a heavy list to starboard. About a half hour later another torpedo struck on the port side between #4 and #5 hatches. About 15 minutes after this, the ship sank port side up.
The Master ordered abandon ship about 10 minutes after the first torpedo as the ship still had headway. He waited for the engines to stop before giving the order. Three boats and two rafts were launched. #1 boat was destroyed by the explosion. The Master, Chief Engineer, and Radio Operator remained aboard until the 2nd torpedo hit. The Chief Engineer was blown overboard by the force of the 2nd explosion. The Master then launched the starboard after raft and climbed aboard. He picked up 2 survivors from the water and at daybreak picked up five more including the Chief Engineer and Radio Operator. This raft was picked up at 1300 on the 15th by USS OPAL PC-453 and taken to the American Naval Base and then to Port of Spain.
Two boats, containing 19 survivors were picked up by the SS EXMOUTH about 24 hours after the attack. They were taken to Port of Spain also. The 3rd boat, containing 14 crew and 3 Navy men was picked up on June 15th by the SS KAHUKU. At 2120 EWT on June 16th, the KAHUKU herself was torpedoed. A crew member and Navy gunner from the COLD HARBOR were lost at this time. The 15 survivors from the COLD HARBOR were among those rescued by the USS OPAL and landed at Trinidad.

The MS COLIN, ex MS VILLAPEROSA, was taken over by an Executive Order on June 6, 1941. On October 31, 1941 she was delivered to the U.S. Maritime Commission and thence to the War Shipping Administration. The WSA allotted the ship to Lykes Bros. SS Co. on January 15, 1942 at the port of New York. On December 8, 1942 she was turned over to A.L. Burbank & Co. under a GAA agreement in Mobile.
The Panamanian flag freighter, MS COLIN, was torpedoed by the German U-S59 (Johann Jebsen) at 1550 ship time on April 26, 1944 while en route from New York to Liverpool via Boston and Halifax in Convoy SC 157 (#135) with a cargo of 4600 tons of bulk sulphur. The position of the attack was 54-16 N./31-59 W.
The total complement on board was 40 merchant crew and 15 U.S. Navy Armed Guard. One crew member jumped overboard and was not seen again. He was the 2nd Cook, a Chinese citizen.
The COLIN loaded sulphur at Port Sulphur, Louisiana and left on February 15 in convoy for New York arriving there on February 29th. After receiving orders, the ship proceeded to Boston arriving there on March 10th. She left Boston March 17th in Convoy BX 100 for Halifax arriving March 19th. Sailed from Halifax in Convoy SC 156 but due to engine trouble was forced to return to Halifax. Finally sailing from Halifax on April 19th in Convoy SC 157.
On April 26, 1944 at 1550 ship's time, two torpedoes struck the COLIN on her port side, one hit at #1 hatch and the other at #6 hatch. The sulphur cargo in #1 hold caught fire immediately and the fumes covered the ship. The COLIN settled gradually on an even keel. Shortly after all the boats were clear, a 3rd torpedo hit the ship on the port side amidships. When the smoke cleared, the ship had disappeared.
At the time of the attack, the ship was proceeding alone on the Straggler's Route having dropped out of the convoy the night of April 24 because of a broken steering gear.
At 1620 orders to abandon ship were given by the Master. Two lifeboats and a gig were launched along with all the rafts except one. All the survivors were picked up by HMS AFFLECK (K 462) and HMS BENTLEY (K 465) at 1130 on April 27th. All the survivors were in two boats at this time. After rejoining the convoy they were all transferred to the rescue ship SS ACCRINGTON arriving Gourock, Scotland on May 1st. They were repatriated to the U.S. on the ILE DE FRANCE arriving New York on May 18th.

A historical sidelight you might find interesting, the VILLAPEROSA was in port in Wilmington, NC, loading scrap iron when Italy declared war on Britain and France (June 1940). She was interned by the US Government, pulled away from the loading dock and tied up to pilings in a deserted part of the Cape Fear River at Eagles Island, across from the City of Wilmington. The Italian crew remained aboard. Sometime later, if my memory serves me correctly, the crew opened the sea cocks and attempted to scuttle the ship. Their effort was only partially successful as there was very little water under the hull and the ship simply settled a few feet into the mud. She was raised in a matter of hours and eventually made serviceable again.

Richard Bowden Jones
USMM Veterans WWII, Wilmington, NC

The Honduran flag freighter, SS COMOYAGUA, was torpedoed by the German U-125 (Ulrich Folkers) at 1100 CWT on May 14, 1942, in position 19-00 N./81-37 W. (about 14 miles W. by S. of Georgetown, Grand Cayman) while en route alone from Puerto Barrios, Guatemala to Niquero, Cuba in ballast.
The COMAYAGUA was armed with a 4" gun aft and two .30 caliber machine guns, one on each bridge wing. A U.S. Naval Armed Guard crew of four were aboard to man the guns.
The COMAYAGUA carried a merchant crew of 38 men. Six crew members were killed outright by the explosion of the first torpedo. A seventh man, the Jr. Engineer, was badly burned and died later in the hospital at Georgetown. One Navy gunner was badly burned but survived.
The ship was struck by 2 torpedoes, the first hitting at 1100 just forward of midship and the 2nd at 1120 which hit about 20' from the stern. The first hit in the boiler room and the 2nd blew off the stern.
The crew abandoned ship in boats and rafts. A U.S. Navy plane appeared at 1145 and tried to locate the sub but with no success. It then flew off to Georgetown where the pilot dropped a note in the Commissioner's garden, informing him of the survivors. The Motor Schooner CIMBOCO was sent to pick up the survivors and returned them to Georgetown.
The U-Boat surfaced after the sinking and the Master was questioned by the German officer who spoke excellent English. He told the Master land was only 10 miles away.
O. Thomas Wolfe, GM 3c, in charge of the gun crew, stayed at his post hoping the sub would surface. When he saw the 2nd torpedo approaching he jumped overboard and was picked up.

Donald Beavers, AS, was badly burned but survived.He was flown to the Naval Operating Base at Guan-tanamo, Cuba via U.S. Navy plane for hospitalizationwhere he recovered. The other four merchant crew members lost were all Honduran citizens. They were a Wiper, Fireman, Oiler,and Messman.

NOTE: Unfortunately, the file on this ship does not show the address of the American merchant crew members or their next of kin.

The Panamanian flag freighter, SS DESERT LIGHT, ex Finnish PANDIA, was taken over by the U.S. from the Finnish Government on December 27, 1941 at the port of New York, under an Executive Order of June 6, 1941. The ship was allotted to the War Shipping Administration which in turn allotted the ship to Alcoa SS Company for operation on February 6, 1942 at New York. The ship had been under the flag of Panama since August 1941. When confiscated by the U.S., the ship was operated by a Finnish company owned by Arthur Karlsson.
The SS DESERT LIGHT, was torpedoed by the German U-572 (Heinz Hirsacker) at 1203 EWT on April 16, 1942 in position 35-35 N./72-48 W. while en route from New York to Bermuda with a cargo of 3800 tons of supplies for the Naval Operating Base, including 104 tons of ammunition and dynamite. She was sailing alone and unarmed.
Two torpedoes ripped into the starboard side of the ship amidships just forward of the boiler room. The explosion blew out the bottom plates and tore the side of the hull up to the deck. Extensive damage was done to the midship house and the bulkhead holding the coal bunkers was ruptured. The engine room and fireroom quickly flooded causing the ship to sink at 1323 EWT. Also the starboard boat was destroyed by the explosion.
On board the DESERT LIGHT was a crew of 31 men. One Fireman was lost.
The ship was abandoned at 1223 by all hands in the port boat and the port raft. Five men left on the raft and 25 men were in the boat. Later, those on the raft transferred to the boat. They were finally rescued at 1200 on April 23rd by the USS ROPER DD 147 and taken to Morehead City, N.C.

The U-572 (Heinz Kummetat) was sunk by U.S. Navy aircraft Vp-205 on August 3, 1942 in position 11-35 N./54-05 W. There were no survivors.

NOTE: Captain Dunn had to sign three crews before he could get one to sail the ship. After one crew learned that the ship carried explosives they refused to sail and signed off. A second crew was signed on but they too refused to sail and signed off. On the third try the company found it necessary to get most of the crew from Canada in order to take the ship to sea. (From official U.S. Navy records).

The SS EL COSTON, was purchased by the U.S. Government from the Southern Pacific RR and turned over to the War Shipping Administration for operation. The WSA assigned the ship to the U.S. Lines on July 2, 1941. This company operated her until October 30, 1942 under a GAA agreement. On that date the ship was assigned to the U.S. Navigation Company and registered under the flag of Panama in Boston.
The Panamanian flag freighter, SS EL COSTON, on February 25, 1944 at 2135 ship's time, while en route in Convoy CU-15 (#53) from New York to a United Kingdom port, rammed the tanker SS MURFREESBORO which was loaded with 80 octane gasoline. The collision occurred in position 38-10 N./53/33 W. (About 900 miles out from New York).
The EL COSTON was loaded with 3367 tons of munitions, 267 tons of vehicles, and 311 tons of general cargo.
On board the EL COSTON was a crew of 39 and a U.S.Navy Armed Guard contingent of 28. The merchant crew was made up of many nationalities including 3 Americans. Nine of the crew and 8 Navy men were lost.
The EL COSTON, 3rd ship in the 5th column, had drifted off course towards the 4th column of ships. At 2130 the Master ordered the wheel hard right to get back in position. It was at this time that the helmsman reported the rudder failed to respond. This caused the EL COSTON to ram the U.S. tanker SS MURFREESBORO on her port side.
The tanker was in convoy position #54. The tanker burst into flames at once and sheets of flame swept the decks of both ships. At the time the weather included rough seas, rain squalls, and poor visibility.
The Master was on the bridge at the time of the collision and was last seen descending from the bridge shortly after the collision. He was not seen again after that time.
With the Master missing, the Chief Mate of the EL COSTON, ordered the ship to get underway at slow speed and proceeded in an easterly direction until daylight, at which time a survey was made of the damage. The bow was found to be stove in above and below the waterline. #1 hold was flooded and boxed ammunition was floating out through the holes. The ship did not sink at this time but stayed in the vicinity until about 1535 on February 26th when she departed under her own power with an escort, USS MARCHAND (DE 249), headed for Bermuda. However, the weather turned bad with the wind increasing to Force 7 to 8 from the North and Northwest causing heavy seas. Shortly after midnight, February 27th, the bulkhead between #1 and #2 holds gave way and collapsed. The engines were stopped and abandon ship was ordered. Those on board abandoned in two lifeboats. The ship sank by the head at 0142 on February 27th.
Six crew members and 8 Naval Armed Guard were lost the night of the collision. Three more crew members were lost when the ship finally went down. None of the 3 Americans were lost.
NOTE: The Chief Mate, Sten A. Nordh, was awarded the Distinguished Merchant Marine Medal on May 3, 1945 for his actions in taking charge of the EL COSTON after the Master was lost.

The SS EL CAPITAN, was purchased by the U.S. Government from the Southern Pacific RR. She flew the American flag until October 1, 1941 when she was transferred to Panamanian registry. On June 26, 1941 the ship was turned over to the U.S. Lines to be operated under a GAA agreement at the port of New York.
The EL CAPITAN was bombed by German aircraft at 0600 July 10, 1942 in position 70-10 N./41-40 W. (about 65 miles NE of lokanka, USSR). She was en route from New York to Archangel with a cargo of machinery, food, leather, ammunition in the holds and tanks on deck. This ship had been a ship in Convoy PQ-17 before the convoy was dispersed and forced to go it alone.
The German aircraft were first sighted at 2300 GCT on July 9th. They had come from Petsamo where there was an air base. Concussion from the many bombs dropped caused the after peak compartment to break open. The bulkhead at #4 hold was ruptured, and the starboard side of the engine room was demolished. Holds #4 and #5 began to take water and the ship settled by the stern.
The ship was abandoned when it became apparent that she was in a sinking condition.
On board the EL CAPITAN was a merchant crew of 37, a U.S. Naval Armed Guard of 10 enlisted men and one officer. Also on board were 19 survivors from the SS JOHN WITHERSPOON rescued by the EL CAPITAN. All on board were rescued with no fatalities. There were no Americans in the Merchant crew.
HMS LORD AUSTIN, a converted trawler, picked up all the survivors and took them to Archangel. From there they were taken to Glasgow, Scotland where they embarked on the SS QUEEN MARY arriving in Boston on October 15, 1942.
It was necessary for the LORD AUSTIN to sink the EL CAPITAN with gunfire.

The freighter, SS EL LAGO, was an American flag ship owned by the Southern Pacific Railroad. She was purchased from this company by the U.S. Government on June 26, 1941 at Baltimore. At this time the ship was placed under the Panamanian flag to be operated by the U.S. Lines under a GAA agreement.
The SS EL LAGO was torpedoed by the German U-615 (Ralph Kapitsky) and the U-607 (Ernst Mengersen) at 1512 local time on October I 1, 1942 while en route from Reykjavik to New York in ballast. The position of the attack was 44-00 N./40-00 W.
On board the ship was a complement of 39 crew members, 14 U.S. Naval Armed Guard, and 6 passengers who were merchant seamen being repatriated. The Master and 1st Assistant Engineer were the only survivors, only because they were taken prisoner by the U-615.
The EL LAGO had left New York on August 20 arriving Boston the next day. After loading cargo she left Boston on August 30 in Convoy BX-35 and arrived Halifax September 1st. Left Halifax on September 5 in Convoy SC 99 arriving Reykjavik on September 17.
After discharging all her cargo at Reykjavik, the SS EL LAGO departed from that port on October 5, 1942 in Convoy ONS 136s. The convoy was made up of 12 ships in two columns. The EL LAGO was the #3 ship in the port column and the convoy was heading south to join a larger convoy from the U.K. to the U.S.
When about 250 miles south of Iceland, on October 5th, the convoy ran into a storm with hurricane force winds, tremendous heavy seas, rain, poor visibility. The EL LAGO was forced to slow down because of these weather conditions thereby losing the convoy. At noon on October 11th, observations fixed the position of the ship at 442 miles ENE of Cape Race, New-foundland at a speed of 13 knots.
On this day, at 1512 local time, the ship was struck by two torpedoes amidships, one on the port side and the other on the starboard side. The stern section sunk within seconds and the forward sank in less than a minute.
The ship was equipped with four lifeboats, 4 square rafts, and two donut type rafts. Both after boats were destroyed in the explosion and the two forward boats went down with the ship.
The Master was on the bridge at the time of the attack. The ship sank under him. Without his life jacket he managed to stay afloat for about half an hour and then climbed aboard one of the square rafts. When he got aboard he found the 2nd Mate, 1st Engineer, Bosun, Carpenter, an A.B., an O.S., the 2nd Cook, and a Messman. All of them had been in the water for some time and were covered with oil. The Master also saw 2 men clinging to a potato crate plus 3 others on one of the square rafts and 2 more on another. The two donut rafts were empty. As there were too many on the Master's raft, 3 men shifted to an empty raft.
At this time, the two subs surfaced. They were the U-615 and U-607. The U-615 approached the rafts and asked for the name of the ship and for the Master. The Master identified him-self and he was ordered aboard the sub. They they asked for the Chief Engineer. When told he was not among them they asked for an engineer officer. The 1st Engineer then identified himself and he was ordered aboard too.
The Master asked the Commanding Officer of the U-615 what he intended to do with the others on the rafts. His only answer was, "This is war!" He then ordered the two below. The Master judged the time to be about 1715 at this time. No survivors were ever found so it can be assumed they died from exposure or drowning.
The U-615 arrived at La Pallice, France on October 30th. Captain Abrahamson was taken to the prison at La Rochelle and the Engineer to a hospital in Bordeaux suffering from severe burns. Captain Abrahamson was transferred to a prison camp for Merchant Seamen at Bremen. He was repatriated to the U.S. from Oslo, Norway on the Liberty ship SS M.E. COMERFORD on July 30, 1945 arriving in New York on August 16th where he reported to U.S. Lines office.
The Engineer was hospitalized a La Rochelle for 14 days and then taken to Bordeaux where he remained until December 20, 1942. He was then returned to La Rochelle, placed in prison for 2 days, and then taken by train to Camp Marlag in Bremen where he was reunited with Capt. Abrahamson. He was repatriated to the U.S. from Rotterdam on August 29,1945 aboard the SS MORGANTOWN VICTORY arriving in New York on September 7, 1945.
Capt. Abrahamson was a Norwegian citizen from Kristiansand where his wife was living. Mr. Baas, the 1st Engineer, was a Dutch citizen but lived with his wife in New York City.
The U-615 (Kapitsky) was sunk south of Curacoa in position 12-51 N./64-34 W. on August 7, 1943 by U.S. Navy aircraft and U.S. Army Sqdn. #10. Five were lost and 43 taken prisoner.
The U-615 under the command of Ralph Kapitsky, was responsible for the sinking of the American tanker SS ATLANTIC SUN from which there was one survivor also. The U-615 pulled this man aboard and made him a prisoner thereby saving his life.
The U-607 (W. Jeschonnek) was sunk NW of Cape Ortegal, Spain in position 45-02 N./9-14 W. on July 13, 1943 by British Sqdn. #228. There were 45 lost and 5 taken prisoner.
The U-607 under the command of Ernst Mengersen, was responsible for the sinking of the SS EDWARD B. DUDLEY, an American Liberty ship. There were no survivors from the DUDLEY.
The Merchant crew was made up of 7 Norwegians, 8 Chinese, 5 Canadians, 5 Belgians, 3 Dutch, 2 Swedes, 2 Scots, and one each from Denmark, Ireland, Estonia, Portugal, Latvia, Poland, and the U.S.

**The body of this man was picked up at sea on November 3, 1942 by the USS MANHASSET in position 51-10 N./40-50 W.

LOG ENTRIES RELATIVE TO THE SINKING OF THE SS EL LAGO SIGNED BY THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE U-615, KPLTN. KAPITSKY.

October 11, 1942
1113 While on the surface, smoke sighted bearing 085° True.
1130 Ship sighted 6 miles distant on course about 230°. Speed 12 knots. Increase speed to get into attacking position.
1456 Fired two torpedo spread from Tubes #1 and #1. Hit after 90 seconds. Observed ship to be cut in two. After 4 minutes nothing could be seen of the ship.
NOTE: There is a discrepancy in the time of the attack. The Master of the EL LAGO stated the ship was hit at 1512.
1500 Heard diesel noise bearing 210° True... noise becomes louder. Noise determined to be that of another U-Boat.
1542 Surfaced. Found U-607 at scene of sinking. U-607 departs heading 060° True. Captain of ship and 1st Machinist taken on board. Steer 050° True to return to former position.
1836 Radio message to U-Boat headquarters: "In AJ 8898, EL LAGO sunk, bound from Iceland to New York in ballast.Captain and I st Machinist on board."

Signed: Kapitsky, Kptin.

Author's Note: Unfortunately, I have been unable to determine or identify the six seamen passengers. There is no record of them in any government files. Therefore it is impossible to know if any of the six were American seamen.
All of the data concerning the attack and rescue was obtained from statements of Capt. Abrahamson and Gerritt Baas after their repatriation to the United States. The Master's statement was signed on August 21, 1945 and Mr. Baas' on September 13, 1945.

The freighter, EL OCCIDENTE, was purchased by the U.S.Maritime Commission from the Southern Pacific Railroad at Galveston, Texas on July 7, 1941. The ship was assigned to the U.S. Lines of New York on the same date at 1400 under a GAA agreement.
The Panamanian flag freighter, SS EL OCCIDENTE, was torpedoed by the German U-435 (Seigfried Strelow) at 0130 local time on April 13, 1942 in position 78-28 N./28-30 E. while en route from Murmansk to New York via Reykjavik in Convoy QP-10. She was carrying a part cargo of Chrome Ore as ballast.
The EL OCCIDENTE had previously left Boston on January 30th stopping at Halifax on February 1st and departing from there on February 7th in Convoy HX 174. After arrival at the Clyde River she left there on February 23rd arriving Reykjavik on the 29th. Departed that port on March 1st arriving Murmansk March 13th and departing there on April 10th in Convoy QP-10. From Reykjavik to Murmansk she was in Convoy PQ-12. The ship was armed and manned by British gunners.
There were 41 crew members on the ship. Twenty (20) were lost. The ship sank so fast there was no time to launch lifeboats. The crew was forced to jump overboard. About 30 minutes later, the 21 survivors were picked up by HMS SPEEDWELL, a British minesweeper. The SPEEDWELL also picked up 9 bodies and buried them at sea. Survivors were landed at Reykjavik from where they were eventually repatriated to the U.S. aboard the SS CAPULIN and SS ARTIGAS.
One or two torpedoes struck the ship in the engine room nearly breaking her in two. She sank stern first in two minutes. One boat was put in the water but it overturned.

The U-435 (Strelow) was sunk by British Sqdn. (RAF) on July 9, 1943 in position 39 -48 N./14-22 W. There were no survivors. (48 lost).

The SS EQUIPOISE, ex Italian flag freighter PIETRO CAMPANELLA, was a coal burning ship, delivered to the War Shipping Administration, by Executive Order, on September 11, 1941 at 1200 hours in the port of Baltimore. The WSA assigned the ship to the IFC to be operated under a GAA agreement in the port of Baltimore at 1201 EST on October 6, 1941. She was changed to Panamanian registry on October 25, 1941.
The SS EQUIPOISE, a Panamanian flag, coal burning freighter, was torpedoed by the German U-160 (Georg Lassen) at 1834 EWT on March 26, 1942 in position 36-36 N./74-45 W. (about 60 miles Southeast of Cape Henry), while en route from Rio de Janeiro to Baltimore with a cargo of 8000 tons of Manganese ore. The ship was sailing alone and not zigzagging.
The EQUIPOISE had left New York on January 17, 1942 with a load of general cargo stopping at Norfotk on the 19th and leaving there on the 23rd. Arrived at Rio de Janeiro on February 25th and left on March 5th.
On board was a merchant crew of 54 men including the Master. The ship was armed with a 4" gun on the stern plus two machine guns on the bridge and two on the stern. There was no Navy Armed Guard aboard. The members of the crew had been trained to man these guns. Of the 54 men aboard only 13 survived. Among the crew were 8 American seamen. None of the eight Americans survived.
One torpedo struck the ship on the starboard side between #1 and #2 hatches, blowing out the bottom of the ship, causing her to sink in about 2 minutes. Also the nature of the cargo added to her rapid sinking. The two starboard boats went down with the ship.
Two port lifeboats were launched plus 2 rafts. Lifeboat #2 capsized when it hit the water. The aft boat, #4 boat, was launched by the 3rd Mate and another seaman. After it was launched, they could not reach it and had to jump overboard. The 3rd Mate, who was the only surviving officer, said he was in the water for 2 hours before he could finally climb aboard this boat. When he got in the boat, he found 7 men. One of them was the Master. He was badly injured and not coherent. The 3rd Mate said he always spoke English on the ship but at this time he spoke in Swedish. The Master died the next morning and was buried at sea. Another seaman got aboard the boat soon after the 3rd Mate. After the Master died, there were 8 survivors in the boat.
For two days the boat and two rafts floated aimlessly on the open sea before help came in sight. Those in the boat were picked up first at 1630 EWT on March 28th by the USS GREER (DD-145). On the same day, between 1700 and 1800, those on the rafts were rescued. There were 4 men on one raft. On the other raft was one man and the body of the Carpenter. The survivors were taken to the Norfolk Naval Base arriving there at 0200 on the 29th. Seven of them had to be hospitalized.
The crew was made up of seamen of many nations including Norway, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Brazil, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Denmark and the United States.
One of the survivors, a Fireman, said the confusion after the torpedo hit was very intense among the crew. They could not understand one another. Orders were either misunderstood or disregarded. Most of the men lost went down with the ship.

The U-160 (Pommer-Esche) was sunk south of the Azores (33-54 N./27-13 W.) by aircraft from the USS SANTEE (CVE 29) on July 14, 1943. There were no survivors.

The Panamanian flag tanker, MS ESSO BOLIVAR, was shelled an torpedoed by the German U-126 (Ernst Bauer) at 0230 on March 7, 1942 in position 19-38 N./74-38 W. or about 30 miles SE of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, while en route from New York to Aruba with a load of fresh water, commissary stores, and a deck cargo. The ship did not sink but was badly damaged. Eventually repaired and put back into service.
On board was a merchant crew of 44 and a U.S. Naval Armed Guard contingent of six. Seven crew members, including the Master and Chief Mate were lost. One Navy gunner was lost. Ten crew members were wounded as were four of the Navy men.
The ESSO BOLIVAR left New York on February 26th armed with a stern gun and two .30 caliber machine guns. A stop was made at Newport News for routing instructions from the Navy and to test the degaussing system. She departed there on March 1st, unescorted for Aruba.
At 0230 the ship was attacked by vicious shelling from U-126. Seven crew members were killed and many wounded. About two hours after the initial attack, a torpedo struck on the starboard side blowing part of the deck cargo several hundred feet in the air. She took a heavy list to port but stayed afloat.
Shells struck the after house, wheelhouse, and the midship house. The 3rd shell exploded in the afterhouse starting a fire in the galley which soon spread and blazed upward like a flaming torch driving the gun crew from the after gun. Bulkheads caved in from the intense heat.
The engines were stopped at 0310 with the steering gear shot away. The deck cargo of acetylene cylinders were shattered by shellfire setting the gas on fire. The torpedo made a hole 50' x 35' next to the pumproom.
The ship was abandoned in #1 lifeboat and four of the rafts.The lifeboat picked up survivors in the water. All survivors were picked up by the minesweeper USS ENDURANCE and taken to Guantanamo Naval Base where all the wounded were hospitalized.
On March 25th, the ship left Guantanamo under her own power with a Naval escort, arriving Mobile on March 30th where permanent repairs were completed on July 24th. On August 6th, she loaded a full cargo at Corpus Christi, Texas for New York.

The U-126 (Siegfried Kietz) was sunk by RAF Squadron 172 in the North Atlantic (46-10 N./11-23 W.) on July 3, 1943. There were no survivors.

The Chief Mate, Hawkings Fudske, Chief Engineer William McTaggart, Arthur Lauman, Fireman, and Charles Richardson, A.B. were all awarded the Merchant Marine Distinguished Service Medal for their bravery in the attack on this ship. Mr. Fudske's award was made posthumously to his wife. A Liberty ship was also named for him.

The names and position of the merchant crew and Naval Armed Guard survivors can be found in the book,
"SHIPS OF THE ESSO FLEET IN WORLD WAR II."

The MV FIRETHORN, ex Danish NORDEN, was taken over by the U.S. Government, under an Executive Order, in the port of Philadelphia on July 12, 1941 and registered under the Panamanian flag. Control of the ship was given to the War Shipping Administration. They assigned this ship to the U.S. Lines under a Bareboat Charter on July 17, 1941 and on February 26, 1942 under a GAA agreement.
The Panamanian flag freighter, MS FIRETHORN, was torpedoed by the German U-172 (Carl Emmermann) at 0830 ship's time on October 7, 1942 about 60 miles NW of Capetown, while en route alone, from New York to Suez via Capetown with a cargo of tanks and general war supplies.
The ship's complement consisted of 40 merchant crew and 21 U.S. Naval Armed Guard. Of that number, 10 crew members and 2 Navy gunners were lost. There were only two members of the merchant crew who were American citizens, the Deck and Engine Cadets. They were both lost.
The first torpedo struck the ship on the port side just below the bridge, tearing open the hull. A 2nd torpedo struck, a few seconds later, on the same side in the engine room. The ship went down in less than 2 minutes.
Abandon ship was sounded after the explosion of the first torpedo. Survivors climbed aboard four rafts. The port boat had been destroyed in the first explosion. Due to the heavy port list to port it was impossible to launch the starboard boat. The four rafts broke loose and floated free as did a yawl boat. The yawl was found bottom up but was righted and used to pick up many survivors in the water and place them on the rafts which were eventually lashed together.
Six men manned the yawl boat and set forth for the coast. The following day, November 8th, they were spotted by a plane about 1300. On the same day at 1700, they were picked up by HMS ROCKROSE (K-51). The next day the survivors on the rafts were rescued by HMS ROCKROSE and a mine sweeper. They were taken to Capetown arriving the same day, November 9th.

The U-172 (Hoffman) was sunk west of the Canary Islands in position 26-19 N./29-59 W. on December 12, 1943 by four U.S. destroyers. There were 46 survivors including the Commanding Officer. Thirteen were lost.