Liebre
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| Name | Liebre | ||
| Type: | Steam tanker | ||
| Tonnage | 7.057 tons | ||
| Completed | 1921 - Union Construction Co, Oakland CA | ||
| Owner | Socony-Vacuum Oil Co Inc, New York | ||
| Homeport | New York | ||
| Date of attack | 2 Apr, 1942 | Nationality:  American | |
| Fate | Damaged by U-123 (Reinhard Hardegen) | ||
| Position | 34.11N, 76.08W - Grid DC 1196 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 34 (9 dead and 25 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | New York (30 Mar) - Beaumont, Texas | ||
| Cargo | Water ballast | ||
| History | On 16 Feb, 1945, the Liebre was taken over by the US Navy at Pearl Harbor and commissioned as USS Meredosia (IX 193). The ship was sold for scrap on 8 Feb, 1947. | ||
| Notes on loss | At 07.18 hours on 2 Apr, 1942, the unescorted and unarmed Liebre (Master Frank C. Giradeau) was missed by a torpedo from U-123, while steaming a zigzagging course at 10.5 knots about 17 miles east of Cape Lookout Outer buoy. The U-boat surfaced and began shelling the tanker for about 40 minutes. The first hit was scored on the starboard side well forward, thus the master changed the course to put the stern toward the U-boat. Another shell hit the after end of the flying bridge carrying away all controls. At least ten shells hit the midships house and crew quarters. Three shells penetrated the hull and one of these hit the generator, plunging the ship into darkness. The ship was stopped, a radio message was sent and the crew of eight officers and 26 crewmen began to abandon ship after 15 minutes in two lifeboats. One officer and eight men died, seven drowned when they jumped overboard and two died of shrapnel injuries. The British motor torpedo boat HMS MTB-332 appeared, forcing the U-boat to cease the attack and leave the area. The lifeboats were towed back to the tanker by a US Coast Guard boat and the master and nine crew members reboarded her eight hours after the attack, while one lifeboat with 15 men was towed to Morehead City, North Carolina by the US Coast Guard boat. The tug Resolute and the British armed trawler HMS St. Zeno (FY 280) towed the Liebre into Morehead City, arriving there on 4 April. After temporary repairs were made, she was towed to Baltimore for reconstruction and returned to service on 19 July. | ||
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