File No. 43-2179
USNR No. 181475
CONFIDENTIAL
12 April 1944
From: Cadet-Midshipman Anthony J. CARDIHALE, First Class,
To: Supervisor, U. S. Merchant Marine Cadet Corps
Via: District Cadet-Midshipman Supervisor, New York.
Subject: Loss of vessel SS SEAKAY; Report on
1. The vessel to which the writer was assigned departed from New York with a full cargo of vapor oil and a deck cargo of airplanes. She was proceeding in a 15-knot convoy of about 25 ships, escorted by 10 American DE’s, bound for the port of Avonmouth, England.
2. On 18 March 1944, the convoy escorts started to drop depth charges on the outer fringes of the convoy area, of the subject vessel’s starboard bow. The position of the convoy at this time was approximately 700 miles west of Ireland, in the North Atlantic. At this outburst of activity, the writer immediately started below to his quarters in order to procure his life preserver. As the writer reached the door of his room, the subject vessel was hit by a torpedo in the extreme forward end of the ship, on the starboard side. The writer grabbed his life preserver and hurried to his station on the boat deck. Arriving topside, the writer saw that the ship had caught fire almost immediately, so he went forward to assist with the hoses. The writer then went in search of the pumpman to aid him in pumping the oil out of the tanks forward in order to bring the ship to an even keel.
3. By this time the abandon ship signal had sounded and the writer proceeded to his boat, secured the plug and directed the lowering of the boat. After all the men were safely in the boat, the falls were released and the writer had to cut the man ropes which had become attached to the thwarts. The ship was abandoned in an orderly fashion, and all the men were safely in the boats except the Captain, who stayed with his ship until the last moment and then jumped overboard and swam to a life raft.
4. Within an hour and a half, all the boats, including the Skipper’s raft were picked up by one of the excorting DE’s, the USS REEVES, DE156. All hands were saved except one member of the Naval Armed Guard who was lost when his life boat overturned.
5. The survivors were taken to Londonderry, Ireland and there were given clothes by the British Merchant Navy Relief Association. From there to Glasgow, thence to Avonmouth where the writer was placed aboard the MV LIGHTNING and returned to the United States.
ANTHONY
J. CARDINALE
CONFIDENTIAL 452 File No. 43-2179
USNR No. 181475
12 April 1944
From: Cadet-Midshipman Anthony J. CARDINALE, First Class, (E-1), ???
To: Supervisor, U. S. Merchant Marine Cadet Corps
Via: District Cadet-Midshipman Supervisor, New York
Subject: SS SEAKAY – loss of
1. Subject vessel departed from New York with a full cargo of vapor oil and a deck cargo of airplanes. She was proceeding in convoy, twenty five ships, escorted by ten American DEs, bound for a port in England.
2. On 18 March, 1944, the convoy escorts dropped depth charges on the outer fringes of the convoy area, off the subject vessel’s starboard bow. Position at this time was approximately seven hundred miles from the west coast of Ireland. [Words unclear] hearing the outburst of activity, the writer immediately started below to his quarters in order to procure his life jacket. As the writer reached the door of his room a torpedo struck in the extreme forward end of the ship on the starboard side. The writer grabbed his life preserver and hurried to his station on the boat deck where he saw that the ship was already in flames. He went forward to assist with the hoses then went in search of the pump operator to aid him in pumping the oil out of the tanks forward and bring the ship to an even keel.
3. By this time the abandon ship signal had sounded and the writer proceeded to his boat, secured the plug and directed the lowering of the boat. After all the men were safely in the boat, the falls were released and the writer cut the man ropes which had become attached to the thwarts. The ship was abandoned in an orderly fashion, and all the men were safely in the boats except the Master who stayed with his ship until the last moment then jumped overboard and swam to a life raft.
4. Within an hour and a half, all boats, including the Masters’s raft were picked up by one of the excorting DEs, the USS REEVES, DE156. All hands were saved except one member of the Naval Armed Guard who was lost when his life boat overturned.
5. The survivors were taken to Londonderry, Ireland, and given clothing by the British Merchant Navy Relief Association. From there survivors were transported to Glasgow, thence to Avonmouth where the writer was placed aboard the MV LIGHTNING and returned to the United States.
Signed (Anthony J. Cardinale)
Cadet-Midshipman Anthony J. CARDINALE, First Class, (D-1), USMMCC
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FIRST ENDORSEMENT
12 April 1944
To: Supervisor, U. S. Merchant Marine Cadet Corps
1. Forwarded.
P. BRENNAN
Signed (G. S. Findlay)
G. S. Findlay
By direction