Ships hit by U-boats


James E. Newsom

Canadian Sailing ship



James E. Newsom as seen from Wawaloam. Photo courtesy of Patsy Kenedy Bolling

NameJames E. Newsom
Type:Sailing ship
Tonnage671 tons
Completed1919 - East Coast Ship Co, Boothbay Harbor ME 
OwnerZwicker Geldert Shipping Co Ltd, Halifax, NS 
HomeportHalifax 
Date of attack1 May 1942Nationality:      Canadian
 
FateSunk by U-69 (Ulrich Gräf)
Position35° 50'N, 59° 40'W - Grid CB 9486
Complement9 (0 dead and 9 survivors).
Convoy
RouteTurks Island – Barbados - St. Johns, Newfoundland 
CargoMolasses 
History On 23 Aug 1919, launched for Crowell & Thurlow, Boston under American flag. The schooner made her first voyage to Buenos Aires, but spent most of her career carrying cargoes on the American East Coast. 1928 sold to Zwicker Geldert Shipping Co Ltd and was renamed D. Geldert from 1931 to 1935. 
Notes on event

At 17.28 hours on 1 May 1942, U-69 began to shell the unescorted and unarmed James E. Newsom about 370 miles northeast of Bermuda. The U-boat had spotted the schooner about six hours earlier and during the chase encountered U-558 (Krech) at 13.58 hours. U-69 opened fire from a distance of about 1 mile and fired 12 high explosive and 54 incendiary rounds from the deck gun and 60 rounds from the 20mm AA gun until the vessel sank at 18.03 hours. The crew of nine men was seen to abandon ship in a lifeboat and later made landfall on Bermuda.

 


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