Beaconlight
Panamanian Steam tanker
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| Name | Beaconlight | ||
| Type: | Steam tanker | ||
| Tonnage | 6,926 tons | ||
| Completed | 1920 - Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp, Alameda CA | ||
| Owner | Panama Transport Co (Standard Oil Co), Panama | ||
| Homeport | Panama | ||
| Date of attack | 16 Jul 1942 | Nationality:  Panamanian | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-160 (Georg Lassen) | ||
| Position | 10° 59'N, 61° 05'W - Grid ED 9946 | ||
| Complement | 41 (1 dead and 40 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Capetown (21 Jun) - Trinidad | ||
| Cargo | Ballast | ||
| History | Completed in June 1920 as Richconcal for US Shipping Board (USSB). 1923 renamed Beaconlight for Beacon Oil Co (Standard Oil Co), New York. 1940 registered in Panama for Panama Transport Co. | ||
| Notes on event | At 09.34 hours on 16 July 1942 the unescorted Beaconlight (Master Urban A. Haughan) was struck by one G7e torpedo from U-160 on the starboard side between #8 and #9 tanks and five minutes later by a second G7e torpedo on the same side in the engine room. The ship began to sink by the stern immediately about ten miles northwest Galera Point, Trinidad. One crewman was lost. 38 crewmen and two British gunners (the ship was armed with one 12pdr aft and two .30cal machine guns on each side of the bridge) abandoned ship in three lifeboats and were questioned by the Germans, but they misidentified the tanker as the Gallia. The survivors were picked up six hours later by the small steam passenger ship Trinidad and landed at Port of Spain the same day. The drifting wreck had to be sunk by HMS Roode Zee (W 162) in position 10°58N/61°10W, to prevent her being a menace to navigation. | ||
| On board | We have details of 2 people who were on board. | ||
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