Tiger
American Steam tanker
| Name | Tiger | ||
| Type: | Steam tanker | ||
| Tonnage | 5,992 tons | ||
| Completed | 1917 - Union Iron Works, San Francisco CA | ||
| Owner | Socony-Vacuum Oil Co Inc, New York | ||
| Homeport | New York | ||
| Date of attack | 1 Apr 1942 | Nationality:  American | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-754 (Hans Oestermann) | ||
| Position | 36° 50'N, 75° 49'W - Grid CA 7381 | ||
| Complement | 42 (1 dead and 41 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Aruba (21 Mar) - Norfolk | ||
| Cargo | 64,321 barrels of Navy fuel oil | ||
| History | Completed in June 1917 as freighter Tiger for Standard Transportation Co of Delaware, New York. On 12 November 1917 acquired by the US Army Transportation Service and used to carry supplies to France for the American Expeditionary Force. On 23 December 1917 acquired by the US Navy at Norfolk, VA and commissioned as cargo transport USS Tiger (ID # 1640) for the Naval Overseas Transportation Service. On 7 March 1919 transferred to the US Cruiser and Transport Force to repatriate the American troops from Europe. Decommissioned on 23 August 1919 and returned to the owners. 1928 converted to a tanker to carry oil fuel in bulk and 1931 sold to Standard Vacuum Transportation Co Inc, New York. | ||
| Notes on event | At 06.18 hours on 1 April 1942 the unescorted and unarmed Tiger (Master Rein Alexander Schnore) was hit by one torpedo from U-754, after a spread of three torpedoes had missed earlier just as the tanker reduced speed and signaled with blinkers to pick up a pilot off Cape Henry, Virginia. The torpedo struck on the starboard side just aft of amidships at about #5 tank and blew oil all over the ship. As the stern settled, the eight officers, 28 crewmen and six passengers (a US Navy gun crew in transit) abandoned ship in three lifeboats and were picked up after two hours by the patrol craft USS YP-52 and landed at Norfolk. One of the firemen on watch below had been killed. A salvage crew boarded the Tiger the next day and the American tug Relief and the US Coast Guard cutter USCGC Jackson (WPC 142) took the ship in tow for Norfolk, but she sank on 2 April in 55 feet of water in the Chesapeake Bay and declared a total loss. In 1954 the wreck was sold for breaking up. | ||
| On board | We have details of 37 people who were on board. | ||
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