USS Gannet (AVP 8)
American Small aircraft tender
| Name | USS Gannet (AVP 8) | ||
| Type: | Small aircraft tender (Lapwing) | ||
| Tonnage | 840 tons | ||
| Completed | 1919 - Todd Shipyard Corp, Brooklyn NY | ||
| Owner | United States Navy | ||
| Homeport | |||
| Date of attack | 7 Jun 1942 | Nationality:  American | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-653 (Gerhard Feiler) | ||
| Position | 35° 50'N, 65° 38'W - Grid CB 7875 | ||
| Complement | 77 officers and men (16 dead and 61 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Bermuda (2 Jun) - Bermuda | ||
| Cargo | |||
| History | Completed in July 1919 as minesweeper USS Gannet (AM 41). 1920 converted to small aircraft tender and reclassified as USS Gannet (AVP 8) on 22 Jan 1936. | ||
| Notes on event | At 04.20 hours on 7 June 1942, U-653 fired one torpedo at USS Gannet (AVP 8) (Lt F.E. Nuessle, USN) under escort by the British armed yacht HMS Sumar, but the torpedo detonated after 1 minute 40 seconds without damaging the ships. The ships were returning from a fruitless search for the torpedoed Westmoreland which had been sunk by U-566 (Borchert) on 1 June. At 07.42 hours, U-653 attacked again and hit USS Gannet (AVP 8) with one torpedo. She sank within four minutes. Feiler reported a hit at the stern of the yacht after 58 seconds, but a result could not be observed. 22 survivors were rescued by two PBM Mariner aircraft (VP-74 USN) that made daring landings in heavy seas and 40 others were picked up by USS Hamilton (DMS 18). USS Gannet (AVP 8) had been the seaplane tender for VP-74 based on Bermuda since January 1942. | ||
| On board | We have details of 77 people who were on board. | ||
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