1945 — May 5, Civilian US Steam Collier Black Point Torpedoed, off Point Judith, RI– 12

— 12 Arnold. “The Final Hours of U-853, Boston Globe, reprinted in Andrews, Tempest, p.143.
— 12 Berman. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. 1972, p. 14.

Narrative Information

Arnold: “The fog had lifted, unveiling the antiquated steamer Black Point, chugging in the late afternoon sun along the Rhode Island coastline. On 5 May 1945, she was just off Point Judith and the Newport Naval Base, en route to the Edison plant in South Boston with a full load of coal. Most of the 46 crew members were finishing their regular Saturday meal when Oberleutnant Helmut Froemsdorf, at periscope depth 1000 yards away, took aim.

“Captain Prior of Black Point never saw what hit the ship….The warships on the far side of Block Island, never heard or saw the explosion. Not until after the lead ship was well past the site did the ships reverse course, return to Rhode Island, locate the submarine and then spend 16 hours hammering it to death with depth charges and hedgehogs. Twelve Americans died on Black Point, and all 55 Germans in U-853 were entombed.

“Black Point was the last American ship torpedoed by the Germans in the war. It was the only American ship sunk by a foreign navy this close to the mainland since the War of 1812….

“The attack is not well known today, partly because the navy censored reports of it until after the German surrender. By then, V-E Day dominated the headlines, and a submarine attack off Newport received but modest mention.” (Arnold. “The Final Hours of U-853, Boston Globe, reprinted in Andrews, Tempest, p.143.)

Sources

Andrews, Lewis M. Tempest, Fire & Foe. Trafford Publishing, 2004.

Arnold, David. “The Final Hours of U-853, Boston Globe, reprinted in Andrews, Lewis M. Jr. Tempest, Fire and Foe, p. 143.

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.

Berman, Bruce D. Encyclopedia of American Shipwrecks. Boston: Mariners Press Inc., 1972.