Tacoma Star
British Steam merchant
Name | Tacoma Star | ||
Type: | Steam merchant | ||
Tonnage | 7,924 tons | ||
Completed | 1919 - Workman, Clark & Co Ltd, Belfast | ||
Owner | Blue Star Line Ltd, London | ||
Homeport | London | ||
Date of attack | 1 Feb 1942 | Nationality: British | |
Fate | Sunk by U-109 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) | ||
Position | 38° 46'N, 64° 17'W - Grid CB 5447 | ||
Complement | 97 (97 dead - no survivors) | ||
Convoy | |||
Route | Buenos Aires - Hampton Roads - Liverpool | ||
Cargo | 5107 tons of refrigerated and general cargo | ||
History | Laid down as War Theseus for The Shipping Controller, completed in July 1919 as Wangaretta for British India Steam Navigation Co Ltd, London. 1929 renamed Tacoma Star for Blue Star Line Ltd, London. At 22.40 hours on 3 May 1941, the Tacoma Star was hit by a heavy bomb while in dock at Liverpool during an air raid on the city. She caught fire and settled slowly by the stern on to the dock bottom, but was subsequently salvaged and repaired. | ||
Notes on event | At 03.30 hours on 1 Feb 1942, U-109 fired a spread of three torpedoes at the unescorted Tacoma Star (Master Robert George Whitehead) about 387 miles north of Bermuda. One torpedo hit at the forward hold and a second struck amidships in the engine room, causing the ship to sink by the bow after four minutes. The U-boat was just about to meet U-130 (Kals) for refueling when the vessel was spotted at 16.20 hours on 31 January and Bleichrodt began chasing the zigzagging ship. The Germans reported that the crew abandoned ship in five lifeboats but the survivors were not questioned as the vessel had already been identified from her distress signals. These signals were also received ashore and USS Roe (DD 418) was sent to search for survivors but found no trace of the ship because the position 37°33N/69°21W mentioned in the radio message proved to be wrong. The master, 87 crew members and nine gunners were lost. | ||
More info | |||
On board | We have details of 93 people who were on board. |
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