1943 — Nov 21, fog, tanker Altair (20) hit by tanker Bostonian ~58M off Cape Henlopen, DE-20

— 20 American Merchant Marine at War. Chronological List of U.S. Ships Sunk or Damaged….
— 20 Gettysburg Times, PA. “Leaps Into Sea Cost 20 Lives,” Nov 23, 1943, p. 4.

Narrative Information

American Merchant Marine at War. The AMMW notes that the fatalities consisted of 10 crew members, 8 armed guard, and 2 Navy passengers.

Newspaper

Nov 23: “Lewes, Del., Nov. 23 (AP) – Captain Rein Schenore, captain of the fire-ravaged tanker Altair, believes that some of the 20 members of his crew who were lost in the collision with the tanker Bostonian could have been saved if they had not jumped overboard when the water was already ablaze. The Latvia-born master said yesterday that most of the missing were members who jumped overboard. ‘That was a very foolish thing to do,’ he said. Schenore, 44, of Brooklyn, N. Y., directed the rescue of 39 of his crew from the bridge of the blazing oil tanker.

“A Navy spokesman said the Altair was heading toward Philadelphia with a cargo of crude oil when it was rammed amidships Saturday midnight in a heavy fog 58 miles off Cape Henlopen. Two seamen were seriously injured and four civilian passengers who were aboard the Altair were rescued, but were not identified by the Navy….the Altair has been reported in the lower Delaware where it was towed by a tug.” (Gettysburg Times (PA). “Leaps Into Sea Cost 20 Lives,” Nov 23, 1943, p. 4.)

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 4-11-2021 at: http://www.usmm.org/eastgulf.html

Gettysburg Times, PA. “Leaps Into Sea Cost 20 Lives,” Nov 23, 1943, p. 4. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=6028139