At 08.33 hours on 18 Jan 1942 the unescorted and unarmed Allan Jackson (Master Felix W. Kretchmer) was hit by two torpedoes from U-66, while proceeding without routing instructions about 60 miles east-northeast of Diamond Shoals, North Carolina. The first torpedo hit the starboard side forward of the bridge in the forward tank and the second hit the starboard side aft of the deckhouse between #2 and #3 tanks and broke the ship in two about 25 feet forward of the midship house, nearly in line with the foremast. This caused both parts of the burning tanker to sink within 10 minutes. Flaming oil spewed from the tanker´s side and spread over the water hundreds of feet around the ship, making it hazardous for the crew to abandon ship. Many of the men burned to death because only the #3 boat with eight men could be launched. Five men jumped into the water and clung to wreckage. The radio operator was picked up by the lifeboat after 15 minutes. The second mate, the third mate and an able seaman were picked up by USS Roe (DD 418) four hours later. The destroyer then picked up the occupants of the lifeboat and found the master after seven hours in the water. On 19 January, all survivors were landed at Norfolk, Virginia. Of the eight officers and 27 men aboard, only three officers and 10 men survived, eight of them injured.