On April 2, 1942, the same U-boat—U-552— sank the SS David H. Atwater, an unescorted collier, off the coast of Virginia. In Boston harbor, the Navy held a memorial service on the deck of the USS Constitution (“Old Ironsides”), a ship well known to sailor Reuben James, as the families of the lost seamen looked on with “tear-stained, tight-lipped faces.” Six women, led by Almeda Edwards, “tossed flowers on the ebbing tide and even as they did the sun broke through the thick clouds and bathed the wreaths in its pale light,” the Associated Press reported. To her crew, she was affectionately known as “Ol’ Rube.”. Of the ship’s crew, only 45 were saved; 99 sailors perished, including all seven of the ship’s officers. Finden Sie perfekte Stock-Fotos zum Thema Uss Portland sowie redaktionelle Newsbilder von Getty Images. On November 27, 1898, Portland, having departed Boston earlier, was en route to Portland, Maine, following her traditional route. Although the United States was still offi- cially neutral, Congress had enacted the Lend-Lease Act in March 1941 to help Great Britain survive. There have been countless thousands of published works devoted to all or of it. 1. When chief machinist’s mate Alton Cousins visited his family that fall, he left his gold watch behind. [9] The wreck was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The find was confirmed in 2002 by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expedition that used ROV's to photograph the wreck. Snow supposedly recorded the affidavit of diver Al George, from Malden, Massachusetts, in pages 178-180 of his book Strange Tales from Nova Scotia to Cape Hatteras. They had no choice. Survivors on the Reuben James saw the instantaneous damage. UNCOVERING THE SECRET SINKING OF USS EAGLE. Commissioned in 1931, it was by all accounts a fine ship. Construction and dimensions. John Ryan, 43, joined the Navy after his son, John Jr., died on the Reuben James. Forty-three years earlier, the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana harbor had led to an outcry for war, but the sinking of the Reuben James did not spark the same reaction. As the survivors struggled to stay afloat, unsecured depth charges from the Reuben James hit the water as the ship sank. Japanese officials were strangely silent. A dive commissioned by noted author Edward Rowe Snow (who is also known as the Lighthouse Santa) supposedly occurred during the last week of June through the first week of July during the last year of the war. Damage to "S" strake at frame 70. The Reuben James was one of five destroyers escorting the convoy’s more than 50 merchant ships, many of which flew the Union Jack. American newspapers, engaging in yellow journalism to boost circulation, claimed that the Spanish were responsible for the ship's destruction. Tell me what were their names. She was 314 feet long, 30 feet in the beam, and capable of speeds of up to 33 knots. Heywood L. “Tex” Edwards, a 1926 Naval Academy graduate and a member of the 1928 U.S. Olympic wrestling team. The Greer dodged two torpedoes and counterattacked with depth charges. The wreck was the first of the sanctuary shipwrecks to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A torpedo fired by U-552 hit her on the port side, ignited her forward magazine, and blew her in half. PS Portland was a large side-wheel paddle steamer, an ocean-going steamship with side-mounted paddlewheels. USS Portland, first of a class of two 9800-ton heavy cruisers, was built at Quincy, Massachusetts. Navy releases documents from the sinking of the Maine-built submarine USS Thresher. Dezember 2018 um 18:29 Uhr bearbeitet. Welcome to the USS PORTLAND's Facebook Fan Page sponsored by the USS PORTLAND (LPD 27). Nearly 600 members of the crew died after the sinking, many of them killed by sharks. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill cabled Roosevelt that he “grieved at the loss of life you have suffered with Reuben James.” In her daily newspaper column, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt wrote that she could not “help but think of every one of the 120 men and their families, who are anxiously awaiting news.” The Russian newspaper Pravda praised the United States for having “taken its fighting post,” and the London Daily Mail predicted that the United States was “marching down the last mile to a declaration of war.”. The Navy will release more information in coming months but doesn’t believe the documents will shed any new light on the cause of the sinking. It seemed like a long time.”. Hundreds of men had been in the water for days, battling dehydration, exhaustion, exposure and sharks. On the Reuben James, torpedoman Robert Howard recalled, “All you had was a pair of binoculars and a rubber ear to press against the skin of the ship to listen for [submarine] screw noises.”. 4. USS Indianapolis was one of two Portland-class heavy cruisers. USS PORTLAND after arrival at Tulagi. Initial newspaper accounts at the time estimated the loss as from 99 to 118 persons. Times when the very landscape appears to shift. Convoy duty was hazardous and becoming more so by the day. Corbin Dyson and Charles Harris. Even acknowledging the likely presence of uncut diamonds in the purser's safe, George assessed the chances of recovery as a losing financial proposition, based in part on how deeply entrenched in the sand the wreck was, and how widely dispersed the impact with the bottom had spread bits and pieces of the ship. Portland was built for the Portland Steam Packet Company (later renamed Portland Steamship Company), at a cost of $250,000, to provide overnight passenger service between Boston and Portland. Please keep in mind that this list does only include records of people who submitted their information for publication on this website. The Reuben James, however, was not forgotten, thanks in large part to folksinger Woody Guthrie’s ballad about the sinking: “Tell me what were their names. Germany and Great Britain had been at war for two years. Others were torn apart.”. “Choking on oil and water, they are like small animals caught in molasses,” artist Coale wrote. Two of the American destroyers, USS Cushing and USS Laffey, were mortally wounded after a brief fire fight, with Laffey exploding and sinking shortly thereafter. Young men in Logan County, West Virginia, home of lost sailor George Woody, sought revenge. In spite of her efforts, 73 were killed in the crash, including Admiral William Mof… became a rallying cry for action. As for a declaration of war, the New York Times noted, “The people, their Representatives in Congress and even many high officials of the government are deeply divided on the subject.” Rather than spark enlistments, Navy enlistments declined 15 percent in November 1941, something officials attributed to the loss of life on the Reuben James. [8] The site was first located in 1989 by John Fish and Arnold Carr of American Underwater Search and Survey. 3. Portland, ME » 35° Portland, ME ... Navy releases documents from Cold War-era sinking of USS Thresher, the deadliest submarine disaster in US history. Like many others, she received the dreaded news through a telegram from “C.W. There have been countless thousands of published works devoted to all or of it. This shot shows the eagle … When a sword-wielding pirate attacked Lieutenant Stephen Decatur, James is said to have jumped in front of Decatur and taken the blow meant for him. It changed the world more than any other single event in history. No-one did. The act permitted President Franklin D. Roosevelt to sell, lend, or lease munitions, aircraft, weapons, and military supplies to “the government of any country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States.” Great Britain was one of those countries. Gone in an instant,” recalled electrician’s mate Thomas Turnbull. The Royal Canadian Navy escorted the convoys to a point off Newfoundland. On November 27, 1898, the steamer Portland departed Boston for her scheduled run to Portland, Maine. What it was like to survive the infamous sinking of the USS Indianapolis 75 years ago. Wählen Sie aus erstklassigen Inhalten zum Thema Uss Portland in höchster Qualität. The U-boat War in World War Two (Kriegsmarine, 1939-1945) and World War One (Kaiserliche Marine, 1914-1918) and the Allied efforts to counter the threat. USS Portland ist der Name folgender Schiffe der United States Navy: . Those who survived the blast jumped into the frigid water. On October 31, 1941, the USS Reuben James became one of America’s first casualties of war—even before war was declared. She was built in 1889 for passenger service between Boston, Massachusetts, and Portland, Maine. During the rest of the 1930s, Portland operated with the U.S. Fleet in the Pacific and Caribbean areas, with occasional special assignments that took her elsewhere. The site is roughly identified as follows: "Highland Light bears 175 degrees true at a distance of 4.5 miles; the Pilgrim Monument, 6.25 miles away has a bearing of 210 degrees; Race Point Coast Guard Station, bearing 255 degrees, is seven miles distant.". ... McVay survived the sinking and was held responsible by the Navy. The next evening, she was dispatched on her first assignment to the scene of the airship Akron, which had crashed at sea. Sinking of USS Lexington, 8 May 1942 At about 5:30 PM, as the abandonment of Lexington was nearing completion, a large explosion tore through her hangar amidships. USS Portland - LPD 27. Germany defended the attack. The Navy performed these duties while the United States maintained its official neutrality. The first of the documents released were 300 pages from the official inquiry into the sinking of the USS Thresher on April 10, 1963. USS PORTLAND. Hit No. The escalating danger worried the crew of the Reuben James. In response, Roosevelt ordered the Navy to shoot on sight any Axis warship found in waters “the protection of which is necessary for American defense.” The North Atlantic came within the scope of this order. “You can’t expect to walk into a barroom brawl and hope to stay out of the fight,” he said. PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Navy began releasing documents from the investigation into the deadliest submarine disaster in U.S. history on Wednesday, but the Navy said the documents released under a court order don’t shed any new light on the cause of the sinking. Acting with “cold precision,” the ships and their crews rescued the few survivors. Hit No. 2. On November 27, 1898, Portland, having departed Boston earlier, was en route to Portland, Maine, following her traditional route. My two Uncles died on board when the ship was sunk. Hit No. Ordered for the U.S. Navy in Fiscal Year 1930, Portland was originally designated as a light cruiser, and given the hull classification symbol CL-33, being re-designated a heavy cruiser with the symbol CA-33 on 1 July 1931, in accordanc… 5. In Portland, Maine, where about half the crew lived, the wives of 40 crew members—“red-eyed and listless, ... Forty-three years earlier, the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana harbor had led to an outcry for war, but the sinking of the Reuben James did not spark the same reaction. By escorting British ships, a German official said, the Reuben James became fair game: “Anybody walking along the railroad tracks at night should not be surprised if they get run over by an express train.” Senator Gerald P. Nye of North Dakota seemed to agree. At daybreak, she was about 600 miles west of Ireland and “blacked out to avoid reflection in the inquisitive monocles of U-boat periscopes,” as Newsweek put it. [8] The divers made three successful dives, and reported that the wreck was strewn with artifacts, like stacks of dishes, mugs, wash basins and toilets, but no human remains. As the crew abandoned ship, U-552 raked them with machine-gun fire, killing all but three of the 27 men. It carried a main battery of nine 8-inch guns and eight 5-inch antiaircraft guns. While on leave, boatswain’s mate Frederick Post had a drink with a friend and predicted it would be the last drink they would ever have together. USS Portland (LSD 37) Crew List. [8] Because of the depth of the wreck site, they reported that some of their dive lights imploded, and they could only explore the site for 10–15 minutes before needing to return to the surface. A New York Times editorial said that the sinking “brushes away the last possible doubt that the United States and Germany are now at open war in the Atlantic.” “Worse than piracy,” proclaimed Navy Secretary Frank Knox, and Senator Alben Barkley of Kentucky accused the Germans of trying “to drive us off the seas, and I don’t believe the American people are ready to be driven off.” Senator George Aiken of Vermont, however, said that Roosevelt was “personally responsible for whatever lives may have been lost” because he had ordered convoy duty. [5][6] The bodies of only 16 crew and 35 passengers were ever recovered, but present-day estimates are that the Portland was carrying, in total, from 193 to 245 persons, including 63 crew. The phrase, "Remember the Maine! World events soon pushed the Reuben James to the side. WWII Quarterly, the hardcover journal of the Second World War that is not available in bookstores or on newsstands, and can only be obtained and collected through a personal subscription through the mail. Deadly German U-boats were prowling the North Atlantic and feasting on Allied shipping. In the annals of military history magazines, this is one of those moments. USS Portland - LPD 27. Word of the Reuben James sinking quickly reached the United States, but details were few. Nimitz, Chief of Bureau of Navigation.”. The sub sank while undergoing sea trials, killing all 129 aboard; it … On July 29, 1976, PORTLAND participated in the evacuation of over 300 U.S. Citizens and Third Country Nationals from civil war-torn Beirut, Lebanon. On October 23, 1941, the Reuben James left Argentia, Newfoundland, to escort convoy HX-156. The first of the documents released were 300 pages from the official inquiry into the sinking of the USS Thresher on April 10, 1963. As a result, several of us local boys enlisted in the Navy,” said Farris Burton, one of those who joined up. Her mission, seaman James Thompson wrote to his parents, was to “see who is raising hell with our ships.”, Only one destroyer in the convoy—the USS Niblack (DD-424)—had radar. The Reuben James carried only two lifeboats and they were now useless. [4], The shipwreck is lying 460 feet (140 m) below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean near Gloucester, Massachusetts, at an undisclosed location within the federally-protected Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Unbeknownst to the crew, a powerful storm system was quickly traveling north, and Portland, despite her reputation as a remarkably safe vessel, was ill-equipped to handle such extreme conditions. In October 1935 Portland escorted USS Houston (CA-30) with US President Franklin D. Roosevelt aboard to Panama. For the rest of the decade she was assigned to Cruiser Division 5 of the Pacific Fleet. The 1200-horsepower vertical-beam steam engine was constructed by the Portland Company, with a bore, or cylinder diameter, measuring 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) across, together with a 12 ft (3.7 m) stroke. USS Maine was a United States Navy ship that sank in Havana Harbor in February 1898, contributing to the outbreak of the Spanish–American War in April. While the Dominion War may be over, the quadrant is still not a safe place and there are many threats to the Federation and adventures to be had. While news of the sinking arrived quickly, word on the fate of the crew took several days longer. “Midships was now the bow” is how fireman Norman Hingula described it. To hell with Spain!" U.S. National Register of Historic Places, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Learn how and when to remove this template message, National Register of Historic Places listings in Gloucester, Massachusetts, National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, Massachusetts, Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, "Ninety-Nine Lives Go Out with the Wrecking of the Portland: Steamship Dashed to Pieces on the Rocky Shore of Cape Cod", "The Portland Sunk; 118 lives lost; Steamer from Boston wrecked Sunday off Cape Cod", "Passenger and Crew Lost with the Steamship, "Divers reach steamship that sank off Mass. They did not, however, explore below the deck because of the danger. “Hitler’s torpedo,” Roosevelt said, “was directed at every American,” but America did not go to war over this act of war. U.S. Navy ships helped escort the convoys bringing Lend-Lease goods to England. “With a terrific roar a column of orange flame towers high into the night as her magazines go up,” recalled Griffith Baily Coale, a naval artist sailing with the convoy. In light of more recent discovery, the accuracy of this entire account is highly questionable. Unbeknownst to the crew, a powerful storm system was quickly traveling north, and Portland, despite her reputation as a remarkably safe vessel, was ill-equipped to handle such extreme conditions. Advertisement. But there’s NEVER been anything like THIS before. According to the affidavit, George found the site by traveling to a location discovered by Captain Charles G. Carver of Rockland, Maine. 1. “The whole front of the ship lifted up and it was gone. Roosevelt’s logic was simple: “If you see a rattlesnake poised to strike, you do not wait until he has struck before you crush him.”. Merchant ships of other nations, such as Great Britain, were free to tag along, and these “hitchhikers” got U.S. Navy protection. Portland was the lead ship of the third class of "treaty cruisers" to be constructed by the United States Navy following the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922, following the two vessels of the Pensacola class ordered in 1926 and the six vessels of the Northampton class ordered in 1927. The Maine sank as a result of an accidental magazine explosion. Rescuers heard “cursing, praying, and hoarse shouts for help” from sailors struggling to stay alive. “Some were knocked unconscious. The ship named for James, the USS Reuben James, was a four-stack destroyer, commissioned in 1920. At the time this video was made, the Grove was the largest Aritifical reef in the world. The Kearny, a modern ship commissioned in 1940, survived the attack and reached port, but 11 sailors were killed and 22 more were injured. Nearby ships rushed in to save the survivors. Before it abated the following day, hundreds of vessels and shore properties were damaged. They listened to the radio, read the newspapers, and knew the score. Nose indentation measures eight inches. The U.S. Navy picked the convoys up there, escorted them out into the Atlantic, and handed them over to the British Royal Navy at a mid-ocean meeting point. Sun | Nation & World. At some point during the storm, Portland sank off of Cape Ann with all hands, the exact number of which cannot be determined, as the only known passenger list went down with the ship. The USS Tranquillity arrives at Guam, carrying survivors of the USS Indianapolis sinking. Present Day The Portland's steam release pipe. Five weeks later, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Congress declared war on Japan, and Germany declared war on the United States. I know you will though….” Before she could mail her letter, however, she learned that her husband would not return. USS Portland (CA-33), schwerer Kreuzer und Typschiff der Portland-Klasse (1932) USS Portland (LSD-37), Landungsschiff der Anchorage-Klasse USS Portland (LPD-27), Docklandungsschiff der San-Antonio-Klasse Diese Seite wurde zuletzt am 14. But it didn’t seem quick. Her skipper was Lt. Cmdr. [7], Her loss represented New England's greatest steamship disaster prior to the year 1900. Commissioned in February 1933, she took part in the search for survivors of the crashed airship Akron in April of that year. Edwards, wrote to her husband, “It has been two days and still no one has told me that you are coming back to me. General view from starboard beam showing location of all hits. 2. Get unlimited access to Pop Mech's best-in-class military content. 6731 Whittier Avenue, Suite C-100 McLean, VA 22101, From Tolkien to Hitler: Famous Soldiers of World War I, The Battle for Omaha Beach: The Men of the D-Day Invasion, Napoleon Bonaparte’s Last Campaign: The Battle of Waterloo, Operation Barbarossa: World War II’s Eastern Front, The Battle of Gettysburg: Turning Point of the American Civil War, What Made the German Luger the Most Famous Pistol in Modern Warfare, The Essential Role of Navy PBR Boats in the Vietnam War, Francis Stebbins Bartow at First Manassas, Operation Frantic On Eastern Front: Preview Of the Cold War. Helen O'Neill, The Associated Press — Jan 26th, 2003. On February 16, 1804, James, a boatswain’s mate, stood on the deck of the USS Philadelphia in Tripoli as Barbary pirates struck. Among the sailors lost were Alton Cousins, who never reclaimed his gold watch, Frederick Post, who never had another drink with his friend, and Walter Sorensen, who never got his wished-for last visit home. Portland's wooden hull was built by the Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. Damage to starboard side of hangar at frame 85. “The water was so cold it would kill you in no time. She was never seen again. She is best known as the namesake of the infamous Portland Gale of 1898, a massive blizzard that struck coastal New England, claiming the lives of over 400 people and more than 150 vessels.[3]. Terrified sailors heard the depth charges arm themselves, and then the charges exploded, hurling debris and men into the air. “If it hadn’t been for those depth charges, we probably would have had another 40 or 50 survivors,” recalled Fireman Second Class George Giehrl. “The incident stirred up emotions in our hometown. PEARL HARBOR - The amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland (LPD 27) arrived in Pearl Harbor, May 29, to conduct Combat Systems Ship Qualification Trials and prepare for a unique role in exercise Rim of the Pacific. The USS Portland (NCC-40424) is an award-winning Star Trek RPG set in 2392, over 10 years after the events of Voyager and Deep Space Nine. But there’s NEVER been anything like THIS before. (Luckily, Boyd survived). Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James?”. The USS Indianapolis was built in Camden, New Jersey.The ship was launched in 1931 and commissioned by the U.S. Navy the following year. For gunner’s mate Walter Sorensen, his main wish was to come home on leave just once more, “even if it is only for a few days.” “Ol’ Rube” was not as rugged or in the same class as modern destroyers like the Kearny, but “in an emergency … these craft must be used as found,” retired Admiral William V. Pratt told Newsweek magazine. Reuben James is a name rich in Navy lore. Roosevelt did not break off diplomatic relations with Germany, and he stayed away from the bellicose rhetoric he had used after the Greer and Kearny attacks. USS Portland (CA33) was the name ship of the Portland class of heavy cruisers and was heavily involved in the Pacific War, fighting at Midway, the Coral Sea, off Guadalcanal, in the Aleutians, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands, supporting operations on New Guinea, at Peleliu, and taking part in the battle of Leyte Gulf and the invasion of Okinawa. [8], An earlier claim of locating and reportedly visiting the wreck of the Portland arose from the last week of June 1945. U-boats had already torpedoed several merchant ships in this convoy and a burning ship had silhouetted the Kearny, making her an easy target. in 1898", "Location of the Portland Wreck confirmed by NOAA", "Shipwreck in NOAA's Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Added to National Register of Historic Places", "The Mysterious Sinking Of A Maine-built Steamer", Reconstructed Crew list of the Portland 1898, Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1898, U.S. National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts, History of the National Register of Historic Places, National Register of Historic Places portal, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Portland_(shipwreck)&oldid=979213969, Shipwrecks on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts, Buildings and structures in Gloucester, Massachusetts, National Register of Historic Places in Essex County, Massachusetts, Articles using NRISref without a reference number, Articles needing additional references from June 2020, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 156 staterooms accommodating 700 passengers; 400 tons freight, This page was last edited on 19 September 2020, at 13:34. 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