Tacoma Star Hit by U Boat

The Tacoma Star was a British steam merchant ship owned by Blue Star of London.  It was attacked by a U Boat (U-109) (Heinrich Bleichrodt) on 1 February 1942 on route from Buenos Aires – Liverpool.   The ship sank with 5107 tons of cargo.  There were 87 people on board and no survivors.  Prior to that on 4 May, 1941, the Tacoma Star sank in dock at Liverpool as result of an air raid, but was salvaged and repaired.

At 03.30 hours on 1 Feb, 1942, U-109 fired a spread of three torpedoes at the unescorted Tacoma Star (Master Robert George Whitehead) and hit her with two torpedoes and caused the ship to sink by the bow after four minutes about 500 miles east of Hampton Roads, Virginia. The U-boat was just about to meet U-130 (Kals) for refueling when the ship was spotted at 16.20 hours on 31 January and Bleichrodt began chasing the zigzagging ship. A distress signal from her was received and USS Roe (DD 418) sent to search for survivors but found no trace of the ship. The Germans reported that the crew abanoned ship in five lifeboats but reported a wrong position in the radio message.

More information on the Tacoma Star

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