Seventy Years Ago Today: The Sinking of the U.S.S. Reuben James – October 31, 1941

The first American Naval ship lost in World War II was not sunk in the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941.  Over a month before, on October 31, 1941, the destroyer USS Reuben James, escorting a convoy bound for Britain, was sunk … Continue reading

Odyssey Searching for the S.S. Gairsoppa and $260 million in Silver

On February 16, 1941 the S.S. Gairsoppa was bound from India to Britain, when she was torpedoed by a German submarine and sank 300 miles southwest of Galway Bay.  In addition to pig iron and tea, she carried silver bullion … Continue reading

At Sea Memorial for AHS Centaur 67 Years After Being Torpedoed

The Australian Hospital Ship Centaur was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off the coast of Queensland, Australia, on 14 May 1943. Of the 332 medical personnel and civilian crew aboard, 268 were killed.  The exact position of the sunken ship … Continue reading