Susana
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| Name | Susana | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 5.929 tons | ||
| Completed | 1914 - Cantiere Navale Triestino, Monfalcone | ||
| Owner | Madrigal & Co, Manila, Philippines | ||
| Homeport | Manila | ||
| Date of attack | 14 Oct, 1942 | Nationality:  American | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-221 (Hans-Hartwig Trojer) | ||
| Position | 53.41N, 41.23W - Grid AJ 9327 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 59 (38 dead and 21 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | SC-104 | ||
| Route | New York - Cardiff | ||
| Cargo | General cargo, including valuables and mail | ||
| History | Built as Erny for Unione Austriaca di Navigazione, Trieste. 1914 the ship was interned at Boston MA, 1917 seized by USA and taken over by the US Shipping Board. 1919 sold to Polish American Nav. Co and renamed Warszawa for voyages between New York and Danzig. 1922 taken over by the US Shipping Board because the owner went bankrupt. 1923 renamed Stanley Dollar and 1936 renamed Susana. | ||
| Notes on loss | At 00.04, 00.12 and 00.13 hours on 14 Oct, 1942, U-221 fired torpedoes at ships in the convoy SC-104 northeast of St. Johns and claimed the sinking of three ships with 13.000 grt. Trojer observed how the first ship broke in two and sank after 10 minutes, a second ship developed a list and sinking noises were heard from a third. However, only the Susana was hit during these attacks. At 00.32 hours, a fourth attack was made in which the Southern Empress was hit and later sunk by a coup de grâce at 03.21 hours. The Susana (Master Jose Ayesa) was hit by a torpedo on the starboard side forward of the #5 hold. The stern settled rapidly and caused the ship to sink in six minutes. The master, 42 crew members and 16 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, four .50cal and two .30cal guns) had to abandon ship immediately in rough seas, so only six armed guards managed to launch a lifeboat and the remaining survivors had to jump overboard. The British rescue ship Gothland was not able to launch a boat and had to maneuver carefully to pick up the men directly from the water, saving 15 crew members and six armed guards within one hour. The master, 27 crew members and ten armed guards were lost. | ||
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