Allied Ships hit by U-boats


Buarque


NameBuarque
Type:Steam merchant (Hog Island)
Tonnage5.152 tons
Completed1919 - American Int Shipbuilding Corp, Hog Island PA 
OwnerCompanhia de Navegação Lloyd Brasileiro, Rio de Janeiro 
HomeportRio de Janeiro 
Date of attack15 Feb, 1942Nationality:      Brazilian
 
FateSunk by U-432 (Heinz-Otto Schultze)
Position36.35N, 75.20W - Grid CA 8448
- See location on a map -
Complement85 (1 dead and 84 survivors).
Convoy
RouteRio de Janeiro (Jan 42) - Salvador - Maceió - Recife - Natal - Fortaleza - Belém - La Guai 
CargoPassengers and general cargo including coffee, cotton, cocoa and leather 
History Laid down as Shepaug, launched in August 1919 as Bird City for the US Shipping Board. 1932 renamed Scanpenn for Moore & McCormack Co Inc, New York. On 30 Oct, 1939, the Scanpenn was detained by British authorities at Kirkwall, Orkneys and released after 13 days. In January 1940 sold to Brazil and renamed Buarque
Notes on loss At 07.53 hours on 15 Feb, 1942, the neutral Buarque (Master João Joaquim de Moura) was hit by one torpedo from U-432 30 miles southwest of Cape Henry and sank after being hit by two coups de grâce at 08.11 and 08.43 hours after a first torpedo had missed at 07.56 hours. The master, 73 crew members and eleven passengers abandoned ship in four lifeboats immediately after the first hit, but the Portuguese passenger Manuel Rodrigues Gomes died of a heart-attack. 47 survivors in two of the boats were picked up in the afternoon by the US Coast Guard cutter USS Calypso after being spotted by an USAAF aircraft and were landed at Norfolk the next morning. On 17 February, the master and 15 survivors were picked up by USS Jacob Jones (DD 130) in 37°42N/74°15W and 21 survivors by USS Eagle 19 (PE 19). In the evening, they were all landed at Norfolk. 


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