Alcoa Ranger
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| Name | Alcoa Ranger | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant (Hog Island) | ||
| Tonnage | 5.116 tons | ||
| Completed | 1919 - American Int Shipbuilding Corp, Hog Island PA | ||
| Owner | Alcoa SS Co, New York | ||
| Homeport | New York | ||
| Date of attack | 7 Jul, 1942 | Nationality:  American | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-255 (Reinhart Reche) | ||
| Position | 71.38N, 49.35E - Grid AT 4876 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 40 (0 dead and 40 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | PQ-17 (dispersed) | ||
| Route | Philadelphia - Archangel | ||
| Cargo | 7200 tons of steel, armor plates, flour and 19 tanks as deck cargo | ||
| History | Built as American Sarcoxie for Southgate-Nelson Corp, Norfolk, owned by US Maritime Commission, Washington DC; 1940 renamed Alcoa Ranger for Alcoa SS Co, New York | ||
| Notes on loss | At 09.27 hours on 7 Jul, 1942, the Alcoa Ranger (Master Vernon Lancelot Jubb) was steaming independently towards Archangel, when she was hit by a torpedo on the starboard side at the #2 hold, opening a large hole and causing the vessel to list heavily to starboard. The eight officers, 26 men and six British gunner (the ship was armed with two old AA-guns and one .30cal Lewis MG) abandoned ship in three lifeboats 15 minutes after the attack. U-255 surfaced, questioned the crew and began to shell the ship from a distance of 100 yards. She fired at least 60 shells (some survivors stated that they used as many as 150 shells) until the Alcoa Ranger sank by the head at 11.00 hours. Two of the lifeboats landed at Novaya Zemlya on the same day and one week later the last boat landed at Cape Kanin. Soviet patrol boats picked up all hands and landed them at Archangel. The crew was later repatriated from Scotland on the British troop transport Queen Mary and arrived Boston on 15 October. | ||
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