Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-05-10
Five American Ships,
Morse Tanker Hit in
Closing Weeks Of War

w 80
AT least five American ships and
q Norwegian tanker were sunk or
damaged in the closing weeks of the
European war, it was disclosed to-
day. More than 100 crewmen are
dead or missing.
Submarine attacks were known or
presumed in four instances, while in
two others undersea explosions of
undetermined origin we're blamed,
according to reports gathered by the
Associated Press.
The sinking of a large United
States tanker, presumably. by tor
pedo, 600 miles off the northern
coast of South America, with a
probable loss of SO lives, was an
nounced in Miami Yesterday. The
tanker was identified by the Navy
as the S. S. Oklahoma.
Other recent instances of ships
lost or damaged were:
The American collier Black Point,
sunk by German U-boat last Sat-
urday night off Point Judith, r. L.,
In the waning hours of the war.
Twelve crew members were missing.
Tanker Makes Port.
The United States tanker Swift
scout, sunk when submarine
pumped two torpedoes into her
somewhere off the East Coast April
10. One ships officer was missing.
The Navy patrol ship PE-56, which
sank after a mysterious explosion
with the loss of 40 lives off Cape
Elizabeth, Me, April %.
The Atlantic Refining Co. tanker
Atlantic States, victim of an under
water explosion" off Princetown.
Mass. Made port without loss of
life.
The Norwegian tanker Katy, re-
ported from Norfolk torpedoed and
damaged recently about 80 miles
offshore Made port without casual
ties except for two crewmen in
jured.
1t was reported from London that
the Germans had between 200 and
300 submarines at work in the
Atlantic when the surrender came
Some of these are likely to be turned
against Japan.
Six Seen Surrendering.
The British Admiralty did not dis
close the actual number of U-boats
which had SUI rendered, but pre-
sumbably it was not yet large
Scores were still at sea when Ad-
miral Doenitz ordered the surrender
Germany's only remaining sea-
worthy cruisers, the Prinz Eugen and
the Nuremberg, and several destroy
ers may be added to the Allied fleet
If they are in good condition.
Raj coastal command planes by
dawn today had sighted six German
submarines in the act of surrender
ing. Constant patrols we're being
maintained to see that the surrender
was being enforced.
Details of recent enemy activities
off the coasts of North and South
America have just come to light.
How SO crew members and the
i0-man Navy gun crew of the tanker
Swiftscout were rescued after five
hours by the merchant ship Chan
cellorville were disclosed today.
d. c. Man Is Survivor.
The survivors said the chief engi-
neer, Alfred Brennan, Westfield,
N. j., was lost.
After the attack the submarine
surfaced. The guards manning the
forward gun fired eight rounds at
the raider, about 500 yards from the
ship. but said they did not know
whether they scored any hits.
Three creWmen suffered injuries
which required disqualification. They
are Chief Mate John o. Richter,
Elizabethville. Pa, broken arm;
Messboy Fred Wormcke, 1913 Sew
enth street NV, Washington,
broken leg, and Fireman James
Zarikos, Brooklyn, hand injury.
Wormcke probably owes his life
to the ministrations of Roy R.
Myers, Chester, Pa. A veteran of a
previous torpedoing, Myers jumped
overheard and started swimming for
a lifeboat, but when he saw
Wormcke in the water, disabled, he
assisted him in staying afoat. A
lifeboat picked them up in
half hour
Gasoline Fired.
There are only % known survivors
of the sinking of the American
tanker.
The tanker, loaded with high oc-
tame gasoline and kerosene, turned
into an inferno following an ex-
plosion. Although no submarine
was sighted, crewmen said they were
positive" they were hit by a tor
pedo.
Six of the % survivors spent 10
days in a lifeboat before an Army
transport plane finally sighted them.
Altogether, the survivors said they
saw eight aircraft from their life
boat, including one blinp, which
nearly touched" them.