Will Rogers (American Steam merchant) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII (original) (raw)
Ships hit by U-boats
American Steam merchant
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| Name | Will Rogers | |
|---|---|---|
| Type: | Steam merchant (Liberty) | |
| Tonnage | 7,200 tons | |
| Completed | 1942 - Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards Inc, Baltimore MD | |
| Owner | Merchants & Miners Transportation Co, Baltimore MD | |
| Homeport | Baltimore | |
| Date of attack | 12 Apr 1945 | Nationality:  American |
| Fate | Damaged by U-1024 (Hans-Joachim Gutteck) | |
| Position | 53° 48'N, 4° 46'W - Grid AM 90 | |
| Complement | 70 (0 dead and 70 survivors). | |
| Convoy | BB-80 | |
| Route | New York - Liverpool (12 Apr) - Solent - Antwerp | |
| Cargo | 4995 tons of general cargo, including landing mats and flour | |
| History | Completed in November 1942On 28 Jan 1945, two officers from Will Rogers were killed in a V-2 rocket attack while they were ashore in Antwerp.**Post-war:**Broken up at Mobile in March 1971. | |
| Notes on event | At 15.00 hours on 12 April 1945, U-1024 attacked convoy BB-80 in the Irish Sea about 30 miles southwest of Holyhead and reported two ships sunk and one damaged. A few hours later, the U-boat was located and sunk. However, only Will Rogers (Master Thomas Manford Lewis) as first ship in the starboard column was hit by one torpedo on the starboard side at the #1 hold near the forepeak bulkhead, causing the flooding of both compartments. Another torpedo was seen to pass astern. The nine officers, 34 crewmen and 27 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 5in, one 3in and eight 20mm guns) did not abandon ship. She was taken in tow and beached off Holyhead alongside James W. Nesmith, which had been torpedoed by the same U-boat a few days earlier. The Liberty was later refloated and on 23 April towed to Liverpool where she was repaired and returned to service on 1 December. | |
| On board | We have details of 1 people who were on board. |
Location of attack on Will Rogers.
ship damaged.
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