Tacoma Star
Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart
| Name | Tacoma Star | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 7.924 tons | ||
| Completed | 1919 - Workman, Clark & Co Ltd, Belfast | ||
| Owner | Blue Star Line Ltd, London | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 1 Feb, 1942 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-109 (Heinrich Bleichrodt) | ||
| Position | 37.33N, 69.21W - Grid CB 5447 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 87 (87 dead - no survivors) | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Buenos Aires - Hampton Roads - Liverpool | ||
| Cargo | 5107 tons of refrigerated and general cargo | ||
| History | Laid down as War Theseus, completed in July 1919 as Wangaretta for British India Steam Navigation Co Ltd, London. 1929 renamed Tacoma Star for Blue Star Line Ltd, London. On 4 May, 1941, the Tacoma Star sank in dock at Liverpool as result of an air raid, but was salvaged and repaired. | ||
| Notes on loss | At 03.30 hours on 1 Feb, 1942, U-109 fired a spread of three torpedoes at the unescorted Tacoma Star (Master Robert George Whitehead) and hit her with two torpedoes and caused the ship to sink by the bow after four minutes about 500 miles east of Hampton Roads, Virginia. The U-boat was just about to meet U-130 (Kals) for refueling when the ship was spotted at 16.20 hours on 31 January and Bleichrodt began chasing the zigzagging ship. A distress signal from her was received and USS Roe (DD 418) sent to search for survivors but found no trace of the ship. The Germans reported that the crew abanoned ship in five lifeboats but reported a wrong position in the radio message. | ||
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