Technical
tanker - steam - single screw
6,950 GRT - 11,350 DWT
445' x 59'2" 'x 26'8"
Service speed/knots 10,5

The vessel had seen U-507 sinking the tanker Munger T Ball and had radioed a report of that sinking, adding unwisely and unnecessarily 'nine miles away'. Upon hearing that, Schacht immediately searched for, found and chased the vessel, which had changed course for Tampa and was steering a zigzag pattern at 11 knots. U-507's first torpedo missed but the second one hit at the waterline on the starboard side at the Number 4 main tank, just after the Third officer had spotted the U-boat's conning tower and saw the track of the torpedo when it was twenty feet from the tanker.

The explosion blew a large hole in the hull and started a fire in the midships house. The Master steered into the wind to allow the crew of eight officers and 29 crew to abandon ship. The Master and eight men on the forepart of the tanker took to one lifeboat. They were sighted by a US Navy PBY flying-boat. A fishing schooner offered to help the men but they turned the offer down. Twelve hours after the attack they were picked up by a PBY and taken to Key West, Florida. One other survivors was rescued by another PBY that same morning and also taken to Key West. Three officers and 24 crewmen were lost.

On 7 May 1942 at 24 57'N-84 10'W the drifting wreck was found by the American patrol yacht USS Coral (PY-15). Since she was completely gutted and beyond salvage and was considered a menace to navigation Coral scuttled her with gunfire.

Thanks to Walter Janssens for extra information on this page.

Unless otherwise stated, all dates and times are from the German perspective and are given in CET.
NEW There is a page to assist with grid squares here.