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SHIPS HIT PANAMA 13 - PANAMANIAN SHIPS LOST

1)ANEROID U-175




SS Aneroid seen as former War Trefoil until 1929. Photo Harland and Wolff - Shipbuilding and Engineering Works (theyard.info) 


 


Built 1917


Tonnage 5,074 / 8,250 tons


Cargo: 3,348 tons of bauxite.


Sunk 2 OCT 42 by U-175 on pos. 08º 24" N 59º 12"W.


6 Dead


43 survivors.


Completed 1917 by Harland & Wolf as War Trefoil. 1919 renamed as San Giuseppe for Ravano & Corado, Genoa, Italy, 1941 seized by USA, renamed Aneroid, US Maritime Commission, managed by South Atlantic SS Co, Panama;   


The SS ANEROID, a Panamanian flag freighter fueled by coal, was taken over by the U.S. on September 3, 1941 at the port of Norfolk under an Executive Order. In turn the ship was turned over to the above named steamship company by the War Shipping Administration on September 9th for operation under a GAA contract. The ship was time-chartered to Alcoa SS Company at the time of the loss.


The SS ANEROID was torpedoed by the German U-175 (Heinrich Bruns) on October 2, 1942 at 0500 EWT while en route from Paramaribo to Trinidad with a cargo of 3,348 tons of Bauxite. The attack took place at 08º24'N 59º12'W, which was about 130 miles off Georgetown, B.G. On board was a complement of 40 merchant crew and 9 U.S. Naval Armed Guard. Five crew members and one Navy gunner were lost.


At 0500 EWT a torpedo struck on the starboard side at #4 hatch just abaft the engine room. The explosion opened a huge hole in the bulkhead between #4 hold and #5 hold causing this hold to flood. #5 hold was empty to give the ship the proper draft to cross the Surinam Bar. The ship sank at 0515 EWT. During the lowering of the two port side boats, both of them got fouled up in wires hanging from the davits.


These wires had tangled in the hand rails which made further lowering impossible. Eventually #2 boat was cleared away and launched with an unknown number of men. After it was launched it drifted down the port side into rigging from the toppled mainmast and #4 cargo booms, causing #2 boat to capsize throwing the occupants into the water. They were in turn picked up by #1 boat.


As #3 boat had been safely launched, all the survivors were in the two boats. The Master, who was in #3 boat, ordered the 3rd Mate to take charge of #1 boat. Lifeboat #3 which contained the Master plus 24 crew members and 4 Navy men, was picked up by the Yugoslav freighter SS IVAN at 1700 EWT on October 2nd and landed at Georgetown, B.G. Lifeboat #1, containing 10 crew and 4 Navy men, was picked up by the Honduran SS OLAMBALA at 0800 on October 4th and landed at Paramaribo, Dutch Guyana on October 9th.


By www.armed-guard.com


 

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