1942 — Jan 19, US freighter City of Atlanta sunk by U-boat ~10m off NC coast ~Manteo– 43

–43 Helgason, Gudmundur. “Ships hit by U-boats. City of Atlanta, American Steam merchant.”
–43 AAMW. US Ships Sunk or Damaged on Eastcoast of U.S….World War II…. 2010.

Narrative Information

American Merchant Marine at War:
Date Ship Type Cause Result Location Deaths
“01-19-1942…City of Atlanta…Freighter…Torpedo… Sunk…Eastcoast…Crew 43.”

Helgason:

“Type Steam merchant
“Tonnage 5,269 tons
“Completed 1904 – Delaware River Iron Shipbuilding & Engine Works, Chester PA
“Owner Ocean SS Co., Savannah GA
“Homeport Savannah
“Date of attack 19 Jan 1942
“Nationality: American
“Fate Sunk by U-123 (Reinhard Hardegen)
“Position 35° 42’N, 75° 21’W – Grid CA 7962
“Complement 46 (43 dead and 3 survivors).
“Route New York – Savannah
“Cargo 2780 tons of general cargo, mainly foodstuffs.
….
“Notes on event: At 09.09 hours on 19 January 1942 the unescorted and unarmed City of Atlanta (Master Leman Chapman Urquhart) was hit by one torpedo from U-123 bout 12 miles south of the Wimble Shoals Buoy and about eight or ten miles off the coast of North Carolina, after Hardegen had spotted her navigational lights three hours earlier. The torpedo became a surface runner and struck at the waterline on the port side forward of the #3 hold. After a heavy detonation debris fell around the surfaced U-boat in a distance of 250 meters. The ship quickly settled by the stern and took a sharp list to port, making it difficult for the crew of eight officers and 38 crewmen to abandon ship. The vessel rolled over in about ten minutes before any of the four lifeboats could be lowered. The U-boat circled the ship, apparently flashing a searchlight in an attempt to read the name of the ship and then left. Only one officer and two men survived by clinging to wreckage and were picked up by the American railway car carrier Seatrain Texas after six hours.”

[Note: The following “Ships hit by U-boats” webpage contains information on all 46 people who were on board.] https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship1268.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 4-11-2021 at: http://www.usmm.org/eastgulf.html

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