1942 — Feb 4, US Tanker India Arrow sunk by U-boat ~20 miles SE of Cape May, NJ– 26

–26 AAMW. US Ships Sunk or Damaged on Eastcoast of U.S….World War II…. 2010.
–26 Helgason, G. “Ships hit by U-boats. India Arrow, American Steam merchant.” Uboat.net.

Narrative Information

American Merchant Marine at War:
Date Ship Type Cause Result Location Deaths
“02/04/42 India Arrow Tanker Torpedo & Shelled Sunk Eastcoast Crew 26

Helgason/uboat.net:
“Name India Arrow
“Type Steam tanker
“Tonnage 8,327 tons
“Completed 1921 – Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Quincy MA
“Owner Socony-Vacuum Oil Co., Inc., New York
“Homeport New York
“Date of attack 5 Feb 1942
“Nationality American
“Fate Sunk by U-103 (Werner Winter)
“Position 38° 48’N, 72° 43’W – Grid CA 5813
“Complement 38 (26 dead and 12 survivors).
“Route Corpus Christi, Texas – Carteret, New Jersey
“Cargo 88.369 barrels of diesel fuel
….
“Notes on event At 01.53 hours on 5 Feb 1942 the unescorted and unarmed India Arrow (Master Carl Samuel Johnson) was torpedoed by U-103 about 20 miles southeast of Cape May, New Jersey, while steaming a non-evasive course at 10.5 knots. The torpedo struck the starboard quarter at about the #10 bunker. The ship caught fire and began to sink rapidly by the stern. Only a distress signal without position could be sent before the dynamo failed. The nine officers and 29 crewmen immediately began to abandon ship, but were only able to launch one lifeboat. Two boats were destroyed by the explosion and a third was pulled beneath the water by the sinking tanker, drowning 18 of the 20 occupants in it.

“The U-boat then surfaced and fired seven shells from her deck gun at two minutes intervals from a distance of 250 yards into the bow section which remained above water as the stern was sinking. Two men died as a result of the shelling. Only one officer and eleven crewmen survived in the lifeboat, set sail and headed for shore. They were picked up on 6 February by the American 24 foot fishing skiff Gitana (Frank Marshall and John Shaw) 20 miles southeast off Atlantic City and taken to the Coast Guard station there.”

Note: uboat.net has information of all 38 of the India Arrow at:
https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship1314.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 4-13-2021 at: http://www.usmm.org/eastgulf.html

Helgason, Gudmundur. “Ships hit by U-boats. W.L. Steed, American Steam merchant.” uboat.net. Webpage accessed 4-12-2021 at: https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/1268.html