Alcoa Rambler
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| Name | Alcoa Rambler | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 5.500 tons | ||
| Completed | 1919 - Merchant Shipbuilding Corp, Harriman PA | ||
| Owner | Alcoa SS Co, New York | ||
| Homeport | New York | ||
| Date of attack | 15 Dec, 1942 | Nationality:  American | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-174 (Ulrich Thilo) | ||
| Position | 03.51S, 33.08W - Grid FC 8185 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 55 (1 dead and 54 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | USA - Trinidad (5 Dec) - Santos, Brazil | ||
| Cargo | 7243 tons of coal | ||
| History | Built as American Mercer Victory for US Maritime Commission, Washington DC, later laid up as part of the reserve fleet. 1941 renamed Alcoa Rambler for Alcoa SS Co, New York. | ||
| Notes on loss | On 5 Dec, 1942, the Alcoa Rambler (Master Ernest Henke) left Trinidad in a convoy. She left the convoy three days later to proceed independently and steered a zigzag course continuously for four days. At 02.00 hours on 15 December, the vessel was struck by a torpedo from U-174 on the port side at the #3 hold. The explosion destroyed the bulkhead between this hold and the fireroom and the ship developed immediate list to port. One seaman jumped overboard and drowned. Within five minutes the crew of eight officers, 32 men and 15 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 5in and four 20mm guns) began abandoning ship in two lifeboats and four rafts. Then U-174 fired a second torpedo which struck the port side amidships and sent flames 100 feet in the air. The Alcoa Rambler broke in two and sank stern first 200 miles northeast of Natal. On 17 December, one lifeboat with 25 survivors, commanded by the master reached Natal. In this boat was the first assistant engineer who was badly burned. He was taken care of by the armed guard commander who dressed his burns and gave him cigarettes and water. He survived and was later hospitalized at Natal. The second lifeboat with 29 men arrived 11 hours later. The master, Ernest Henke, survived also the sinking of his previous ship, the Alcoa Partner, which had been sunk by U-66 (Zapp) on 26 Apr, 1942. His next ship, the Alcoa Prospector was also torpedoed, but was only damaged by a torpedo from the Japanese submarine I-27 in the Gulf of Oman on 5 Jul, 1943. The ship was repaired and returned to service. | ||
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