1942 — Feb 27, US Tanker R.P. Resor sunk by U-boat ~20m east of Manasquan Inlet, NJ-48

–48 AAMW. US Ships Sunk or Damaged on Eastcoast of U.S….World War II…. 2010.
–48 Berg. Wreck Valley Vol. II…Shipwrecks off Long Island’s South Shore and [NJ]. 1990, 118.
–48 Helgason. “Ships hit by U-boats. R.P. Resor, American Steam merchant.” Uboat.net.

Narrative Information

American Merchant Marine at War:
Date Ship Type Cause Result Location Deaths
“02/26/42 R. P. Resor Tanker Torpedo Sunk Eastcoast Crew 40; AG 8.”

Berg: “R.P. Resor
“….On February 27, 1942, the R.P. Resor was traveling from Houston, Texas, to Fall river, Massachusetts, with 78,729 full barrels of crude oil in her holds. Seaman Forsdale was on lookout duty. He spotted a ship off the port bow with its running lights on. Forsdale thought it was a fishing smack and reported his sighting to the bridge. This, however, was just a ruse allowing the German Submarine (U-578 (Rehwinkel) to maneuver to within 200 yards before firing a torpedo which exploded amidships. The U-boat then fired another torpedo which ruptured the Resor’s oil tanks, setting fire to her and to the oil covered waters around her. As flames enveloped the tanker, men leaped into the water or tried to launch lifeboats. Out of a crew of 41 plus nine naval armed guards, only two survived, one being a crew member and the other a navy guard. The two that survived her initial explosion and fire were almost lost while being rescued. Crude oil from the sinking vessel had covered both men making them heavy and extremely slippery. Chief boatswains mate, John Daise, commander of the Coast Guard picket that rescued both survivors said that the men were coated with tick, congealed oil and weighed over 600 pounds. The Coast Guard cut the men’s clothes off to lighten them. Daisy went on to say that even the survivors mouths were filled with a blob of oil. Fortunately, the rescuers were diligent and finally did succeed in lifting the half drowned exhausted men to their safety.

“The Resor stayed afloat for two more days, burning the whole time. Crowds thronged to the beaches at Asbury Park to watch flames billow up on the horizon. The U.S.S. Sagamore made a futile attempt to tow her ashore for salvage, but the sinking ship’s stern bottomed out in 130 feet of water. Soon after, the Resor rolled over and slipped beneath the waves. The Resor was the 24th ship and 15th tanker sunk or damaged in U.S. coastal wat3rs since the U-Boat campaign had begun.” (Berg 1990, pp. 116, 118, and 120.)

Helgason/uboat.net:
“Name R.P. Resor
“Type Steam tanker
“Tonnage 7,451 tons
“Completed 1936 – Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Kearny NJ
“Owner Standard Oil CO. of New Jersey, New York
“Homeport Wilmington
“Date of attack 27 Feb 1942
“Nationality American
“Fate Sunk by U-578 (Ernst-August Rehwinkel)
“Position 39° 47’N, 73° 26’W – Grid CA 5211
“Complement 50 (48 dead and 2 survivors).
“Route Baytown, Texas – Fall River, Massachusetts
“Cargo 105,025 barrels of Bunker C fuel oil
….
“Notes on event At 06.36 hours on 27 February 1942 the unescorted R.P. Resor (Master Frederick Marcus) was hit by one torpedo from U-578 about 20 miles east of Manasquan Inlet, New Jersey, while steaming blacked out on a zigzag course at 12.5 knots. The torpedo struck on the port side just forward of amidships and blew oil over the entire length of the ship and into the water. The oil ignited and flames rapidly spread 500 feet around the tanker as the eight officers, 33 crewmen and nine armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in gun) tried to abandon ship. One boat with about 30 occupants was launched successfully but was soon engulfed in flames, other men perished as they tried to swim through the oil. One crewman and one armed guard were picked up by the picket boat USCGC CG-4344 and landed at the Manasquan US Coast Guard station.

“The burning tanker stayed afloat until the tug USS Sagamore (AT 20) attempted to salvage her. She capsized after the stern grounded in 122 feet of water and sank almost 48 hours after the torpedo hit about 31 miles east of Barnegat, New Jersey.”

Note: uboat.net has information on all 50 people on board at:
https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship1384.html

Sources

American Merchant Marine at War. U.S. Ships Sunk or Damaged on Eastcoast of U.S. and Gulf of Mexico During World War II. Eastcoast of U.S. (175 ships). 12-22-2010. Webpage accessed 4-14-2021 at: http://www.usmm.org/eastgulf.html

Berg, Daniel. Wreck Valley Vol. II: A Record of Shipwrecks off Long Island’s South Shore and New Jersey. Wahoo Edition. East Rockaway, NY: Aqua Explorers, Inc. 1990.

Helgason, Gudmundur. “Ships hit by U-boats. R.P. Resor, American Steam merchant.” uboat.net. Webpage accessed 4-14-2021 at: https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/1384.html

Library of Congress. “Photo Print, Drawing. The 7,451-ton tanker R.P. Resor burning to wreckage off the New Jersey coast Feb. 27, 1942, near Asbury Park. She was torpedoed by a U-boat shortly after midnight.” Accessed 4-14-2021 at: https://www.loc.gov/item/90707671/