Ships hit by U-boats


Will Rogers

American Steam merchant


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NameWill Rogers
Type:Steam merchant (Liberty)
Tonnage7,200 tons
Completed1942 - Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards Inc, Baltimore MD 
OwnerMerchants & Miners Transportation Co, Baltimore MD 
HomeportBaltimore 
Date of attack12 Apr 1945Nationality:      American
 
FateDamaged by U-1024 (Hans-Joachim Gutteck)
Position53° 48'N, 4° 46'W - Grid AM 90
Complement70 (0 dead and 70 survivors).
ConvoyBB-80
RouteNew York - Liverpool (12 Apr) - Solent - Antwerp 
Cargo4995 tons of general cargo, including landing mats and flour 
History Completed in November 1942

On 28 Jan 1945, two officers from Will Rogers were killed in a V-2 rocket attack while they were ashore in Antwerp.

Post-war:
Broken up at Mobile in March 1971. 
Notes on event

At 15.00 hours on 12 April 1945, U-1024 attacked convoy BB-80 in the Irish Sea about 30 miles southwest of Holyhead and reported two ships sunk and one damaged. A few hours later, the U-boat was located and sunk. However, only Will Rogers (Master Thomas Manford Lewis) as first ship in the starboard column was hit by one torpedo on the starboard side at the #1 hold near the forepeak bulkhead, causing the flooding of both compartments. Another torpedo was seen to pass astern. The nine officers, 34 crewmen and 27 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 5in, one 3in and eight 20mm guns) did not abandon ship. She was taken in tow and beached off Holyhead alongside James W. Nesmith, which had been torpedoed by the same U-boat a few days earlier. The Liberty was later refloated and on 23 April towed to Liverpool where she was repaired and returned to service on 1 December.

 
On boardWe have details of 1 people who were on board


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