SS Henry B. Plant
Construction
Henry B. Plant was laid down on 9 November 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2510, by the St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida; she was sponsored by Agnes Veronica O'Mahoney, the wife of the US Senator Joseph C. O'Mahoney, from Wyoming, and was launched on 11 December 1944.
History
She was allocated to the A.L.Burbank & Co.Ltd., on 19 December 1944. On 6 February 1945, she was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-245, in the Straits of Dover, at 51°19′N 1°42′E / 51.317°N 1.700°E, and declared an Actual Total Loss. Henry B. Plant had been transporting 9,300 LT (9,400 t) of cargo, originating in New York, to Antwerp. She was the last ship of Convoy TAM-71 about 17 nmi (31 km; 20 mi) from Ramsgate, when lookouts spotted a U-boat 300 yd (270 m) off starboard. With no time to evade, a torpedo struck the #4 hold. At the time she had a crew of eight officers, 33 crewmen, and 28 Armed Guards, she was also carrying one passenger, an Army security officer. One lifeboat and four rafts were launched, but one officer, eight crewmen, and seven Armed Guards were drowned. The remaining were picked up by HMS Hazard (J02) and HMS Sir Lancelot (LT228).
References
- ^ St. John's River SBC 2010.
- ^ MARCOM.
- ^ Davies 2004, p. 23.
- ^ MARAD.
- ^ Wrecksite.
- ^ Uboat.
Bibliography
- "St. John's River Shipbuilding, Jacksonville FL". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 16 October 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- Maritime Administration. "Henry B. Plant". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- Davies, James (May 2004). "Specifications (As-Built)" (PDF). p. 23. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- "SS Henry B. Plant". Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- "SS Henry B. Plant". www.Wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
- "SS Henry B. Plant". www.Uboat.net. Retrieved 10 February 2020.