Ruth
American Steam merchant
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| Name | Ruth | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 4,833 tons | ||
| Completed | 1919 - Seattle Construction & Dry Dock Co, Seattle WA | ||
| Owner | A.H. Bull & Co Inc, New York | ||
| Homeport | New York | ||
| Date of attack | 29 Jun 1942 | Nationality:  American | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-153 (Wilfried Reichmann) | ||
| Position | 21° 40'N, 59° 20'W - Grid DP 4769 | ||
| Complement | 39 (35 dead and 4 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Rio de Janeiro - Port of Spain, Trinidad - Baltimore | ||
| Cargo | 5000 tons of manganese ore | ||
| History | Completed in December 1919 as Gaffney for US Shipping Board (USSB). 1928 renamed Barreado and later laid up as part of the
reserve fleet. 1940 renamed Ruth for A.H. Bull & Co Inc, New York. | ||
| Notes on event | At 05.55 hours on 29 June 1942 the unescorted Ruth (Master Robert Melville Callis) was hit in the stern by one torpedo from U-153 while steaming a zigzag course at 8.5 knots about 320 miles north-northeast of Barbuda. The explosion ignited the magazine and the whole stern was blown off. She developed a list to port and sank by the stern within two minutes. She sank so rapidly that the seven officers, 28 crewmen and four armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in and two .30cal guns) had no time to launch boats or to leave the vessel otherwise. Three crewmen managed to swim to a raft that floated free and another crewman was picked up by the U-boat and placed aboard the raft after being questioned. The Germans apparently searched for other survivors before leaving the area. On 4 July, the survivors were picked up by USS Corry (DD 463) (LtCdr E.C. Burchett, USN) in 22°23N/62°35W and landed at Port of Spain three days later. | ||
| On board | We have details of 39 people who were on board. | ||
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