Wichita
American Motor merchant
Photo courtesy of the Mariners Museum, Newport News VA
| Name | Wichita | ||
| Type: | Motor merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 6,174 tons | ||
| Completed | 1921 - Doullut & Wiliams Shipbuilding Co Inc, New Orleans LA | ||
| Owner | US Lines Inc, New York | ||
| Homeport | New Orleans | ||
| Date of attack | 19 Sep 1942 | Nationality:  American | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-516 (Gerhard Wiebe) | ||
| Position | 11° 51'N, 59° 21'W - Grid EE 7545 | ||
| Complement | 50 (50 dead - no survivors) | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Takoradi (1 Sep) - St. Thomas, Virgin Islands - New York | ||
| Cargo | General cargo | ||
| History | Completed in March 1921 as steam merchant for US Shipping Board (USSB). 1929 converted to a motor merchant. | ||
| Notes on event | At 06.48 hours on 19 September 1942 the unescorted Wichita (Master Herman Swain Chessman) was hit on starboard side between the forward mast and the bridge by one G7e torpedo fired from a stern torpedo tube of U-516 and sank in less than one minute about 75 miles south of Barbados. The ship was zigzagging at 11.5 knots and had been missed with a spread of two torpedoes at 06.05 hours. The Germans searched the sinking position but sighted no lifeboats or survivors, the ten officers, 30 crewmen and ten armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in and four .50cal guns) were lost. | ||
| On board | We have details of 50 people who were on board. | ||
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