Walter Camp
American Steam merchant
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| Name | Walter Camp | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant (Liberty) | ||
| Tonnage | 7,176 tons | ||
| Completed | 1943 - Permanente Metals Corp, Richmond CA | ||
| Owner | American President Lines Ltd, San Francisco CA | ||
| Homeport | San Francisco | ||
| Date of attack | 26 Jan 1944 | Nationality:  American | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-532 (Ottoheinrich Junker) | ||
| Position | 10° 00'N, 71° 49'E - Grid MS 79 | ||
| Complement | 70 (0 dead and 70 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Aden (19 Jan) - Colombo - Calcutta | ||
| Cargo | 7000 tons of general cargo and food and a deck cargo of barges, trailers, vehicles, cranes and earth movers | ||
| History | Completed in May 1943 | ||
| Notes on event | At 00.27 hours on 26 Jan 1944 the unescorted Walter Camp (Master Henry Alfred Shutz) was hit on the starboard side at #3 hold by one torpedo from U-532 when steaming on a zigzag course at 12,3 knots about 300 miles west of Cochin, India. The explosion destroyed both starboard lifeboats, ruptured steam lines and damaged the steering which caused the ship to swing hard right. The flooding of #2 and #3 holds caused the ship to settle by the bow and to develop a 30° list. The eight officers, 32 crewmen, 28 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 5in, one 3in and eight 20mm guns) and two passengers (US Army security officer and a British passenger) abandoned ship in two lifeboats and three rafts. About 15 minutes later, a coup de grâce hit on the port side aft of the engine room, causing the ship to sink by the stern in 2 minutes. The survivors were picked up on 30 January by HMS Danae and landed at Aden four days later. | ||
| On board | We have details of 1 people who were on board. | ||
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