CONFIDENTIAL
August 28, 1942
Memo to: Lieut. J. Linder
From: Cadet Charles D. Carmines
223 Raleigh Avenue
Hampton, Virginia
On the morning of August 13, 1942, we were travelling in convoy coming up through Windward Passage when at 1545 a ship about a quarter of a mile off our starboard quarter was struck by a torpedo. At that time, I woke and looked out the port-hole on the port side, the balance of the ships were travelling along in order, so I thought it was one of the escorts [that] had picked up a U-boat.
Then at approximately 0356 a torpedo struck us. I put my clothes on and grabbed my life jacket and went up on the boat deck to my boat station. My boat, No. 2, the motor boat was destroyed and also No. 4 boat, at that time the ship had a list to the port.
Mr. Lanford, Chief Officer got there about the same time as I did and told me to go get No. 1 boat. I went to the boat and gave a hand to the Third Officer. The boat was lowered and it was loaded as it was being lowered. The boat was caught in the wash and was broken up. I went down with the boat and when I came up the ship was out of sight.
I made out to get hold of some dunnage and with the aid of my life jacket made out to keep afloat. I was in the water about nine minutes when I was picked up by a life boat which was the only one to get away and then taken aboard by a British destroyer and landed at a naval station in Cuba at 0030 and held there until August 22, 1942 from there we were sent to Camaguay, Cuba and had to wait there for a plane until August 25th. I arrived here, New Orleans at 2030 August 27, 1942. I reported to the District Instructor at 1000 August 28, 1942 for instructions. We aboard the SS DELMUND, did not get the correct time of the vessel going down but a captain from a ship in the same convoy which was sunk the next night and landed at the same station I was said we went down in four minutes.
Charles D. Carmines