Ships hit by U-boats


USS Salinas (AO 19)

American Fleet oiler



US Naval Historical Center Photograph #NII 67794

NameUSS Salinas (AO 19)
Type:Fleet oiler (Patoka)
Tonnage8,246 tons
Completed1920 - Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co, Newport News VA 
OwnerUnited States Navy 
Homeport 
Date of attack30 Oct 1941Nationality:      American
 
FateDamaged by U-106 (Hermann Rasch)
Position46° 56'N, 37° 00'W - Grid BD 4458
Complement142 (0 dead and 142 survivors).
ConvoyON-28
RouteReykjavik, Iceland (23 Oct) - St. John’s, Newfoundland 
CargoBallast 
History Completed in May 1920 as steam tanker Hudsonian for US Shipping Board (USSB). In October 1921 transferred to the US Navy and on 16 December 1921 commissioned as fleet oiler USS Salinas (AO 19). She was placed in reserve from June 1922 to June 1926 and then transported fuel between the Caribbean and the USA until 1941. After the tanker was armed, she was based in August 1941 in Argentia, Newfoundland for convoy support operations.

USS Salinas (AO 19) continued in the Atlantic convoy support and fuel transport operations until March 1944 and was then based in Dutch Harbor, Alaska and operated between Seattle and Alaska until war´s end. The ship was decommissioned in January 1946 and placed in the reserve fleet of US Maritime Commission. Sold to Hillcone SS Co in November 1947. Sold to Liberia in January 1955 and broken up at Hamburg in February 1960. 
Notes on event

At 07.07 hours on 30 October 1941 the fleet oiler USS Salinas (AO 19) (Cdr Harley Francis Cope, USN) in station #14 of convoy ON-28 was hit on port side by two torpedoes from U-106 about 610 miles east of Newfoundland. The damaged tanker managed to reach Argentia under own power on 3 November, was repaired at Brooklyn and returned to service in April 1942.

 
On boardWe have details of 136 people who were on board


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