1942 — Apr 8, U.S. tanker Oklahoma sunk by U-boat, ~10m off St. Simon’s Island, GA– 19

–19 Hendrick, Bill. “Close To Home.” Atlanta-Journal Constitution, 2-14-1999.
–19 uboat.net. “Ships hit by U-boats. Oklahoma. American Steam tanker.” Accessed 3-8-2021.

Narrative Information

uboat.net: “Ships hit by U-boats
Name Oklahoma
Type Steam tanker
Tonnage 9,264 tons
Completed 1940 – Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Chester, PA
Owner The Texas Co., Wilmington, DE
Homeport Wilmington
Date of attack 8 Apr 1942
Nationality American
Fate Damaged by U-123 (Reinhard Hardegen)
Position 1° 18’N, 80° 59’W – Grid DB 6177
Complement 37 (19 dead and 18 survivors).
Route Port Arthur, Texas – Providence, Rhode Island
Carto 105,000 barrels of refined petroleum products
History Completed in December 1940….

Notes on event

At 07.52 hours on 8 April 1942 the unescorted and unarmed Oklahoma (Master Theron P. Davenport) was hit by one G7a torpedo from U-123 about 10 miles off St. Simon´s Island, Georgia, while proceeding on a non-evasive course on the inshore route at 16 knots. The U-boat had spotted two tankers and one freighter in the bright moonlight. The torpedo struck the engine room and she quickly settled by the stern in 40 feet of water and the stern rested on the bottom after 45 minutes with the bow still visible over the water. Most of the eight officers and 29 men abandoned ship in three lifeboats, but the master and three men reboarded the vessel when they heard screams. They found one of the officers critically wounded, who subsequently died and they could not reach some of the 18 missing men apparently trapped below. The radio operator sent another distress message and then abandoned ship again.

In the meantime, the U-boat had torpedoed the Esso Baton Rouge at 08.44 hours, which
caught fire and sank in shallow waters and then returned to finish off the Oklahoma with
gunfire. Twelve rounds were fired and five hits scored on the bridge and bow after which
the tanker caught fire. The survivors of both ships headed together for the Georgia coast.
The next morning an US Coast Guard boat took them in tow and landed them at Brunswick.

The Oklahoma was later refloated and towed to Chester, Pennsylvania where she was rebuilt and returned to service in December 1942.”

The names of the fatalities can be accessed at: https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship1512.html

Newspaper

Brunswick News (Larry Hobbs), GA, 4-8-2017. “When war torpedoed the Golden Isles.” 4-8-2017.

“German U-boat Capt. Reinhard Hardegen had a clear view of the enemy target, outlined as it was by the lights from homes along the coast of St. Simons Island.

“The first torpedo fired from the German submarine U-123 sunk the oil tanker SS Oklahoma shortly after midnight. A second torpedo fired from the sub sunk the oil tanker Esso Baton Rouge about an hour later, in those same waters offshore from St. Simons Island.

“And so it was that the realities of war hit the homefront on the Golden Isles with brutal clarity in the early morning hours of April 8, 75 years ago today. The 1942 attack on the two merchant ships that were contributing to the Allied war effort left 22 seamen dead. It served also as a wakeup call for local residents to be more mindful of observing a nighttime blackout of homes along the coast….”

Sources

Brunswick News (Larry Hobbs), GA, 4-8-2017. “When war torpedoed the Golden Isles.” 4-8-2017. Accessed 3-8-2021 at: https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_news/when-war-torpedoed-the-golden-isles/article_719cdfe4-bbc3-5a83-8e80-2913027428da.html

Hendrick, Bill. “Close To Home.” Atlanta-Journal Constitution, 2-14-1999. Accessed 3-8-2021 at: http://www.usmm.org/closetohome.html

uboat.net. “Ships hit by U-boats. Oklahoma. American Steam tanker.” Accessed 3-8-2021 at: https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/1512.html

Additional Reading

Georgia Historical Society. “Marker Monday: SS Oklahoma and Esso Baton Rouge Attacked by U-123.” Accessed 3-8-2021 at: https://georgiahistory.com/ss-oklahoma-and-esso-baton-rouge-attacked-by-u-123/