SS James Sprunt Disaster

Profile manager: Stephanie Stults [send private message]

Disasters

James Sprunt

Name: James Sprunt

Type: Steam merchant (Liberty)

Tonnage: 7,177 tons

Completed: 1943 - North Carolina Shipbuilding Co, Wilmington NC

Owner: Black Diamond SS Co, New York

Homeport: Wilmington

Date of attack: 10 Mar 1943

Nationality: American

Fate: Sunk by U-185 (August Maus)

Position: 19° 49'N, 74° 38'W - Grid DN 7643

Complement: 69 (69 dead - no survivors)

Convoy: KG-123

Route: Charleston, South Carolina - Key West - Panama Canal - Karachi, India

Cargo: 4000 tons of explosives

History: Completed February 1943

Notes on event: At 09.09 hours on 10 March 1943, U-185 attacked the convoy KG-123 for a second time southeast of Guantanamo Bay and torpedoed the James Sprunt (Master Elie Constantine Carr) on her maiden voyage in station #42. The ship had shifted out of position between the third and fourth columns. One torpedo struck the vessel and caused her cargo to explode, the ship completely disappeared in 30 seconds. The blast went straight up and sent debris over the entire convoy and was so large that a ship 40 miles away witnessed it. ^[1]

SS James Sprunt Disater Location

CARIBBEAN SEA: At 0909, U-185 attacked Convoy KG-123 for a second time SE of Guantanamo Bay and torpedoed the James Sprunt on her maiden voyage in station #42. The ship had shifted out of position between the third and fourth columns. One torpedo struck the vessel and caused her cargo to explode, the ship completely disappeared in 30 seconds. The blast went straight up and sent debris over the entire convoy and was so large that a ship 40 miles away witnessed it. Previously U-185 had sunk steam tanker Virginia Sinclair, which suffered 7 deaths.

HMC ML 072 and 081 damaged when ammunition ship SS James Sprunt blew up when torpedoed by U-185 off Cape Maysi, Cuba, The explosion was approximately twice the magnitude of the 6 Dec 1917 at Halifax. (Dave Shirlaw)^[2]

None of the eight officers, 36 crewmen and 25 armed guards survived.

All were awarded a Purple Heart

Sources

• uboat.net - James Sprunt (American Steam merchant)

1. ↑ Wrecksite - SS James Sprunt (+1943)
2. ↑ RUSSIANS DRIVEN BACK 80 MILES, LOSE 8 DONETS BASIN KEY TOWNS (3/10/43); Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 3/10/43 | Bertram D. Hulen, Ralph Parker, Arthur Krock; Posted on 3/10/2013, 6:54:38 AM by Homer_J_Simpson