Ships hit by U-boats


Star of Oregon

American Steam merchant



NameStar of Oregon
Type:Steam merchant (Liberty)
Tonnage7,176 tons
Completed1941 - Oregon Shipbuilding Co, Portland OR 
OwnerStates SS Co, San Francisco CA 
HomeportPortland 
Date of attack30 Aug 1942Nationality:      American
 
FateSunk by U-162 (Jürgen Wattenberg)
Position11° 48'N, 59° 45'W - Grid EE 74
Complement53 (1 dead and 52 survivors).
Convoy
RouteMassowah - Durban, South Africa - Trinidad - USA 
Cargo5000 tons of general cargo, 4000 tons of manganese ore and 20 tons of military stores 
History Completed in December 1941 
Notes on event

At 08.28 hours on 30 Aug 1942 the unescorted Star of Oregon (Master Ellis Penryn Thomas) was hit by one torpedo from U-162 about 50 miles northeast of Tobago, while steaming a zigzag course at 11.4 knots. The torpedo struck on the starboard side in the #4 hold and blew the hatch covers off the #4 and #5 holds and cargo into the air. A workaway, a seaman being repatriated, lay sleeping on a hatch cover and was blown overboard and never found. As the ship settled by the stern, the armed guards fired five rounds from the stern gun without having sighted the U-boat and the eight officers, 30 crewmen and 14 armed guards (the ship was armed with two 3in and eight .30cal guns) abandoned ship in four lifeboats within minutes. 25 minutes later, the U-boat surfaced and questioned the survivors and asked if anyone remained on board. The Germans apparently misunderstood the name as Star of Orania and then began shelling the port side of the ship from a distance of 500 yards. After firing about 18 rounds, the ship sank by the stern one hour after being hit by the torpedo. The survivors were picked up by an American patrol boat and landed them at Port of Spain the next day.

 
On boardWe have details of 2 people who were on board


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