Ships hit by U-boats


USS Menges (DE 320)

American Destroyer escort



NameUSS Menges (DE 320)
Type:Destroyer escort (Edsall)
Tonnage1,200 tons
Completed1943 - Consolidated Steel Co, Orange TX 
OwnerUnited States Navy 
Homeport 
Date of attack3 May 1944Nationality:      American
 
FateDamaged by U-371 (Horst-Arno Fenski)
Position37° 01'N, 5° 29'E - Grid CH 96
Complement? men (31 dead and ? survivors).
ConvoyGUS-38
Route 
Cargo 
History

On 20 Apr 1944 about 30 German torpedo bombers attacked the convoy GUS-38 off Algiers. One attacker was downed by USS Menges (DE 320), two of the crew were taken prisoner. The destroyer escort then rescued 137 survivors from the USS Lansdale (DD 426), which had been sunk by an aircraft torpedo.

On 18 Mar 1945, U-866 (Rogowsky) was sunk by the only hunter-killer group in the North Atlantic manned completely by US Coast Guard personnel, consisting of four destroyer escorts, USS Pride (DE 323), USS Mosley (DE 321), USS Lowe (DE 325) and USS Menges (DE 320).
On 30 May 1945, the ship was part of the escort for the last convoy to Europe, CU-73, arriving in Cheshire on 8 June.
1947 decommissioned and 1972 scrapped.

The USS Menges (DE 320) received two battle stars for her WWII service.

 
Notes on event

In the night on 2/3 May 1944, U-371 was spotted recharging her batteries on the surface off Djidjelli on the Algerian coast. The area was swamped with six escorts from convoy GUS-38 and three aircraft squadrons. At 01.18 hours on 3 May, the U-boat managed to hit USS Menges (DE 320) with a Gnat in the stern. The explosion severely damaged the stern, blew off both propellers and the rudders. 31 men were killed and 25 wounded, but the destroyer was towed to port and repaired.
The other vessels hunted the U-boat until the early morning of 4 May when Fenksi had to surface his boat and save his crew, but at 04.04 hours he still fought back and also damaged the FFL Sénégalais (T 22) with a Gnat before scuttling the U-boat.

 
On boardWe have details of 58 people who were on board


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