On the morning of March
18, 1940 the 516 foot tanker E.M. Clark, under the command of Captain
Hubert L. Hassell plus a crew of 40 was en route to New York City from Baton
Rouge with a cargo of 118,000 barrels of fuel oil when they were struck by an
enemy torpedo as they approached Diamond Shoals. One crewman was killed during
the initial attack.
As the crew were assessing the damage and attempting to run an emergency antenna a submarine was spotted about 300 yards off the port side. A few minutes later another torpedo struck amidships and the Clark immediately started by the bow. The command was given to abandon ship and the survivors loaded onto the two remaining lifeboats.
Believing everyone to be on board, the lifeboats pulled away from the stricken vessel. Then another survivor was spotted on the deck of the Clark. He slid down a line and was successfully taken on board. As they attempted to circle the vessel in order to pick up other survivors the submarine was spotted once more, it’s spotlight outlining the stricken Clark.
Captain Hassell wisely decided to make their departure. The 26 seamen in lifeboat #4 were picked up and transported to Norfolk, VA and the remaining 14 men were rescued by the USS Dickerson and taken to the Ocracoke Coast Guard Station. The only casualty, Thomas Larkin, was sleeping where the first torpedo struck and was presumed dead.
As the crew were assessing the damage and attempting to run an emergency antenna a submarine was spotted about 300 yards off the port side. A few minutes later another torpedo struck amidships and the Clark immediately started by the bow. The command was given to abandon ship and the survivors loaded onto the two remaining lifeboats.
Believing everyone to be on board, the lifeboats pulled away from the stricken vessel. Then another survivor was spotted on the deck of the Clark. He slid down a line and was successfully taken on board. As they attempted to circle the vessel in order to pick up other survivors the submarine was spotted once more, it’s spotlight outlining the stricken Clark.
Captain Hassell wisely decided to make their departure. The 26 seamen in lifeboat #4 were picked up and transported to Norfolk, VA and the remaining 14 men were rescued by the USS Dickerson and taken to the Ocracoke Coast Guard Station. The only casualty, Thomas Larkin, was sleeping where the first torpedo struck and was presumed dead.
Nineteen allied merchant
vessels were being escorted around Diamond Shoals when they came under enemy
submarine attack. The Bluefields was sunk immediately and the Chlore and M.E. Mowinckel were badly damaged. They headed for shallow water which placed them
inside the protective minefield. They both struck mines and were anchored to
await assistance.
On July 19
the ocean tugs Keshena and J.P. Martin were on duty trying to move the
Mowinckel out of danger when the Keshina accidentally strayed on a mine. The
explosion sunk the tug immediately, killing two of the crewmen. Captain Oscar
Johnson ordered the vessel abandoned. Without a lifeboat another one of the
crewmen drowned but the remaining 15 survivors were soon picked up and taken to
the Ocracoke Coast Guard Station.
Shortly after the attack
the German submarine U-5767 was sunk taking all hands to the bottom with her.
Nazi raiders first struck off the Tar Heel coast on January 18, 1942. Several hours before the dawn of that day the oil tanker Allan Jackson was proceeding northward in a calm sea 60 miles off Cape Hatteras. The tanker transported crude oil from Colombia, South America to New York.
At 1:30 a.m. a German U-boat lurking in the area fired two torpedoes that struck the Allan Jackson and exploded. The second explosion split the ship in two and spilled its cargo of 7.5 million gallons of crude oil into the Atlantic. The vessel and the oil-soaked sea around it were engulfed in flames.
Unfortunately most of the tanker’s lifeboats were not serviceable and many sailors died. Some of the crew who managed to abandon ship clung for hours to wreckage. Later that day the United States destroyer Roe picked up the survivors. The first submarine attack along the Tar Heel coast had been costly. The tanker and its valuable cargo were lost, and only 13 of the 35 crewmen survived. The sinking of the Allan Jackson marked the start of the large-scale destruction of Allied shipping that quickly earned the North Carolina coast the wartime name of "Torpedo Junction."
The following list of ships sunk by German U-Boats off the NC Coast includes links to sites where you'll find detailed information on the loss:
Allan Jackson / American Steam Tanker / January 18, 1942 / 22 dead
Master Felix W. Kretchmer
Sunk by U-66
 |
| Allen Jackson |
Malay / Tanker / January 19, 1942 / 4 dead
Shelled by U-123
Lady Hawkins / Passenger Freighter / January 19, 1942 / 251 dead
Sunk by U-66 off Cape Hatteras
City of Atlanta / American Steam Merchant / January 19, 1942 / 43 dead
Master Lehman Chapman Urguhart
Sunk by U-123
 |
| City of Atlanta |
Ciltvaira / Latvian Steam Merchant / January 20, 1942 / 2 dead
Master Karlis Eduards Skebergs
Sunk by U-123
 |
| Ciltvaira |
Norvana / American Steam Merchant / January 20, 1942 / 29 dead
Master Ernest Jefferson Thompson
Sunk by U-123
 |
| Norvana |
Empire Gem / British Motor Tanker / January 24, 1942 / 49 dead
Master Reginald Broad
Sunk by U-66
Venore / American Steam Merchant / January 24, 1942 / 17 dead
Master Fritz Duurloo
Sunk by U-66
Amerikaland / Swedish Motor Merchant / February 2, 1942 / 5 dead
Master Ragnar Schultz
Sunk by U-106
 |
| Amerikaland |
Ocean Venture / Freighter / February 8, 1942 / 32 dead
Sunk by U-108
Sunk by U-108
Victolite / Canadian Motor Tanker / February 11, 1942 / 47 dead
Master Peter McLean Smith
Sunk by U-564
 |
| Victolite |
On February 11, 1942, the Canadian tanker, Victolite, was sunk by the German U-564 about 450 miles east of the North Carolina coast. It was observed by the attackers that all hands left the vessel and confirmed when a boarding party was sent to investigate. The Victolite was fired on 98 times but the hull did not sink immediately. The 47 crew members that left the ship in lifeboats were never found. This emblem was used on the U-564 as well as several other German u-boats over the course of the war.
Blink / Norwegian Steam Merchant / February 11, 1942 / 24 dead
Master Sigvart Ulvestad
Sunk by U-108
 |
| Blink |
Buarque / Brazilian Steam Merchant / February 15, 1942 / 1 dead
Master Joao Joaquim de Moura
Sunk by U-432
 |
| Buarque |
Olympic / Panamanian Steam Tanker / February 23, 1942 / 35 dead
Sunk by U-66
Norlavore / Cargo / February 24, 1942
Master Chauncey Homer Williams
Unconfirmed sinking by U-432
May have gone down during heavy weather.
 |
| Norlavore as the Quantico |
Marore / American Steam Merchant / February 26, 1942 / 0 dead
Master Charles Ernest Nash
Sunk by U-432
Arabutan / Brazilian Steam Merchant / March 7, 1942 / 1 dead
Master Anibal Alfredo do Prado
Sunk by U-155
 |
| Arabutan |
John D. Gill / American Steamer Tanker / March 12, 1942 / 23 dead
Master Allen D. Tucker
Sunk by U-158
 |
| John D. Gill |
British Resource / British Motor Tanker / March 13, 1942 / 46 dead
Sunk by U-124
Ario / American Steam Tanker / March 15, 1942 / 8 dead
Master Thorolf R. Hannevig
Sunk by U-158
 |
| Ario |
Ceiba / Honduran Steam Merchant / March 15, 1942 / 44 dead
Sunk by U-124
Alcoa Guide / American Steam Merchant / March 16, 1942 / 6 dead
Master Samuel Leroy Cobb
Sunk by U-123
 |
| Alcoa Guide |
Olean / American Steam Tanker / March 16, 1942 / 6 dead
Master Theodore Bockhoff
Damaged by U-158
Acme / Tanker / March 17, 1942 / 11 dead
Torpedoed by U-124
Australia / American Motor Tanker / March 16, 1942
Master Martin Ader
Sunk by U-332
 |
| Australia |
Liberator / American Steam Merchant / March 19, 1942 / 5 dead
Master Albin Johnson
Sunk by U-332
Kassandra Louloudis / Greek Steam Merchant / March 19, 1942 / 0 dead
Master Themistokles Mitlas
Sunk by U-124
 |
| Kassandra Louloudis |
Empire Steel / British Motor Tanker / March 24, 1942 / 39 dead
Master William John Gray
Sunk by U-123
 |
| Empire Steel |
 |
| Naeco |
Narraganset / British Motor Tanker / March 25, 1942 / 49 dead
Master Michael Blackburn Roberts
Sunk by U-105
Equipoise / Panamanian Steam Merchant / March 26, 1942 / 41 dead
Master John Anderson
Sunk by U-160
 |
| Equipoise |
Carolyn / Q-Ship USS Atik / 47 Dead
Sunk by U123
City of New York / American Motor Passenger / March 29, 1942 / 24 dead
Master George T. Sullivan
Sunk by U-160
 |
| City of New York |
 |
Malchace
|
 |
| Rio Blanco |
Liebre / Taner / April 2, 1942 / 9 dead
Shelled by U-123
Otho / American Steam Merchant / April 3, 1942 / 32 dead
Master John Makkinje
Sunk by U-754
Ensis / Tanker / April 4, 1942
Damaged by Gunfire from U-572
Byron D. Benson / American Steam Tanker / April 5, 1942 / 10 dead
Master John G. MacMillan
Sunk by U-552
 |
| Byron D. Benson |
Bidwell / Tanker / April 6, 1942 / 1 dead
Torpedoed by U-160
 |
| British Splendour |
Kollskegg / Norwegian Motor Tanker / April 6, 1942 / 4 dead
Master Leif Soyland
Sunk by U-754
Lancing / Norwegian Whale Factory Ship / April 7, 1942 / 1 dead
Master Bjerkholt
Sunk by U-552
 |
| Lancing |
 |
| Atlas |
Tamaulipas / American Steam Tanker / April 10, 1942 / 2 dead
Master Allan Victor Falkenberg
Sunk by U-552
 |
| Tamaulipas under her former name Hugoton |
Master Albert Edward Gumbleton
Sunk by U-203
 |
| San Delfino |
Harry F. Sinclair / Tanker / April 11, 1942 / 10 dead
Torpedoed by U-203
Ulysses / Freighter / April 11, 1942
Sunk by U-160
Stanvac Melboure / Tanker / April 12, 1942 / 3 dead
Torpedoed by U-203
Master George Frisk
Sunk by U-203
 |
| Empire Thrush |
Desert Light / Panamanian Steam Merchant / April 16, 1942 / 1 dead
Master Charles B. Dunn
Sunk by U-572
 |
| Desert Light |
Axtell J. Byles / Tanker / April 18, 1942
Torpedoed by U-136
Steel Maker / Freighter / April 19, 1942 / 2 dead
Sunk by U-654
Harpagon / British Steam Merchant / April 19, 1942 / Cape Hatteras
Master Robert William Edward Laycock
Sunk by U-109
 |
| Harpagon |
Empire Dryden / British Steam Merchant / April 19, 1942 / 26 dead
Master Robert Powley
Sunk by U-572
Agra / Swedish Motor Merchant / April 20, 1942 / 6 dead
Master Sture Selander
Sunk by U-654
 |
| Agra |
Chenango / Panamanian Steam Merchant / April 21, 1942 / 31 dead
Master Alfred Rasmussen
Sunk by U-84
Bris / Norwegian Steam Merchant / April 21, 1942 / 5 dead
Master Einar Hansen
Sunk by U-201
Ashkhabad / Soviet Steam Merchant / April 29, 1942 / dead
Master Alexey Pavlovitch
Sunk by U-402
 |
| Ashkhabad |
Panam / Tanker / May 4, 1942 / 2 dead
Sunk By U-129
Lady Drake / Canadian Steam Passenger / May 5, 1942 / 12 dead
Master Percy A. Kelly
Sunk by U-106
 |
| Lady Drake |
City of Birmingham / American Steam Passenger Ship / May 5, 1942 / 9 dead
Master Lewis P. Borum
Sunk by U-202
 |
| City of Birmingham |
HMS Bedfordshire / British Antisub Trawler FY-141 / May 25, 1942 / 37 dead
Lt R.B. Davis, RNR
Sunk by U-558
 |
| HMS Bedfordshire |
West Notus / American Steam Merchant / June 1, 1942 / 4 dead
Master Hans Gerner
Sunk by U-404
Anna / Freighter / June 3, 1942
Sunk by U-404
Manuela / American Steam Merchant / June 5, 1942 / 2 dead
Master Conrad G. Nilsen
Sunk by U-404
 |
| Manuela |
Pleasantville / Norwegian Motor Merchant / June 8, 1942 / 2 dead
Master Johan Wildhagen
 |
| F.W. Abrams |
Ljubica Matkovic / Yugoslavian Steam Merchant / June 24, 1942 / 0 dead
Sunk by U-404
Nordal / Panamanian Steam Merchant / June 24, 1942 / 0 dead
Sunk by U-404
Tamesis / June 24, 1942 / Freighter
Torpedoed by U-701
William Rockefeller / American Steam Tanker / June 28, 1942 / 0 dead
Master William R. Stewart
Sunk by U-701
J.A. Monickel / July 15, 1942 / 2 dead
Torpedoed by U-576
Chilore / Bulk Carrier / July 15, 1942
Sunk by U-575
Tennessee / British Steam Merchant / September 23, 1942 / 15 dead
Master Aage Henry Albrechtsen
Sunk by U-617
 |
| Tennessee |
Libertad / Cuban Steam Merchant / December 4, 1943 / 25 dead
Sunk by U-129
U.S. Coast Guard Cutters Bedloe & Jackson / September 14, 1944
Although only one North Carolinian was killed in the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944, the storm was deadly overall. In the Northeast, 45 lives were lost, including 26 in Massachusetts. But most tragically, 344 more people died at sea as five ships sank during the hurricane. Two of those were lost off the North Carolina coast: The Coast Guard Cutters Jackson and Bedloe both capsized and sank while guarding a liberty ship that had been torpedoed near Cape Hatteras. 26 were killed from the Bedlow and 21 were killed from the Jackson. German U-boats were active at that time in attacking Allied vessels that moved along the Outer Banks. The ’44 hurricane provided only a brief interruption in their acts of war.
Belgian Airman / Belgian Steam Merchant / April 14, 1945 / 1 dead
Master E. Cailloux
Sunk by U-857
 |
| Belgian Airman |
Updated 2/19/2019
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