Edward B. Dudley
American Steam merchant
Name | Edward B. Dudley | ||
Type: | Steam merchant (Liberty) | ||
Tonnage | 7,177 tons | ||
Completed | 1943 - North Carolina Shipbuilding Co, Wilmington NC | ||
Owner | Bulk Carriers Corp, New York | ||
Homeport | Wilmington | ||
Date of attack | 11 Apr 1943 | Nationality: American | |
Fate | Sunk by U-615 (Ralph Kapitzky) | ||
Position | 53° 00'N, 39° 00'W - Grid AK 5415 | ||
Complement | 69 (69 dead - no survivors) | ||
Convoy | HX-232 (straggler) | ||
Route | New York (4 Apr) - UK | ||
Cargo | 4000 tons of munitions, food and cotton | ||
History | Completed February 1943 | ||
Notes on event | On 4 April 1943 the Edward B. Dudley (Master Gibson Douglas Hillary) left New York in convoy HX-232. Later the ship straggled from convoy perhaps due to bent propeller blades and was never heard from again. None of the eight officers, 34 men and 27 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in and nine 20mm guns) on board were ever found. At 14.30 hours on 10 April, U-615 fired a spread of four torpedoes on a single ship, but only one torpedo hit which failed to explode. She followed the vessel, which was now steaming a zigzag course and the next day at 04.46 hours fired two torpedoes which hit amidships and stopped the vessel. 20 minutes later another torpedo was fired from 1000 meters that struck at the stern and ignited the after magazine, but the ship still remained afloat. At 05.16 hours a coup de grĂ¢ce was fired from 800 meters that struck under the bridge. The cargo of munition was ignited and the ship disintegrated. Debris slightly damaged the conning tower of the U-boat and wounded Kapitzky, forcing U-615 to abort her patrol and return to port. The launching of many lifeboats was observed before the ship exploded. The victim must have been the Edward B. Dudley. | ||
On board | We have details of 66 people who were on board. |
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