CONFIDENTIAL
10 August 1943
To: Supervisor, U.S. Merchant Marine Cadet Corps
Via: District Cadet Supervisor, New York
Subject: SS William King – loss of
The subject vessel left Philadelphia with a cargo of Army trucks, ammunition, and food and blankets, joining a convoy of about 26 ships in New York. The vessel sailed from New York during the latter part of November and arrived in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Part of the convoy proceeded ahead through the Canal to the Pacific, but the writer’s ship did not proceed through the Canal for two days, then sailed down the coast of South America through and around the Horn to Capetown, S.A., then to Karachi, India and then to Bushire and Basia in Persia. All the cargo was unloaded at Dushire except some ammunition, and after taking on fuel oil in Arabia, the ship proceeded down the coast of Africa toward the port of Durban.
On June 6, 1943, at about 1340, ship’s time, without warning, the vessel was hit by a torpedo in #3 hold and because the ship was empty, the torpedo went right into the fireroom. The writer had come off watch at 1200 and at the time the torpedo struck, he was in his quarters reading. Immediately upon being hit, the engines stopped and the lights went out. The writer’s quarters filled with smoke, so groping his way out, the writer proceeded to the bridge. Reaching the bridge, the Third Mate handed the writer a radio and ordered the writer to the life boat.
Because the port life boats had been smashed by the force of the exploding torpedo, the survivors were able to use only the starboard boats and two of the life rafts. All the men on duty in the engine room were killed and a seaman on watch on deck was blown into the water and drowned. The Captain, Second Mate and gun crew remained on board and manned the guns.
A second torpedo was fired, but missed the ship, passing by the stern. The Captain gave orders to abandon ship and after all the survivors were in the boats and rafts, a third torpedo was fired and hit the vessel amidships. The ship blew up and sank almost immediately, only a few planks coming to the surface after she disappeared.
The submarine now surfaced and the captain of the enemy craft ordered us to come alongside his vessel. It was a German submarine, light gray in color about 250 feet in length. She carried no markings and the Captain spoke in broken English. He ordered the Captain of our ship to come aboard, and after bidding us goodbye, our skipper climbed onto the submarine. Beside the Captain of the submarine, two other officers were on deck with glasses looking for planes, and two sailors stood there with sub-machine guns. One of these men tired a burst towards our boat in order to make us row faster towards the submarine. The other sailor was taking pictures of us and the ship going down.
After three days and nights in the life boats, the survivors were picked up by a British trawler and taken to Durban. The writer’s rescue ship also picked up the rafts the day before, and the other life boat was picked up three days later by a destroyer. The survivors stayed in Durban for 15 days, then left on an American troop ship for Casablanca. They were then transferred to a British ship and landed in Newport News, Va. on July 25, 1943.
All the Cadet-Midshipman aboard the subject vessel were rescued except Engine Cadet-Midshipman Henry Bogardus who was on duty in the engine room at the time the first torpedo struck the ship. All hands in the engine room were killed by the force of the blast, and it is assumed that this Cadet-Midshipman was killed instantly. The three surviving Cadet-Midshipmen all stayed together, and all arrived in New York at the same time, reporting to the District Cadet Supervisor for further orders.
JOHN H. LUEDDECKE