McKeesport
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| Name | McKeesport | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 6.198 tons | ||
| Completed | 1919 - Federal Shipbuilding Co, Kearny NJ | ||
| Owner | US Lines Inc, New York | ||
| Homeport | Newark | ||
| Date of attack | 29 Apr, 1943 | Nationality:  American | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-258 (Wilhelm von Mässenhausen) | ||
| Position | 60.52N, 34.20W - Grid AD 7852 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 68 (1 dead and 67 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | ONS-5 | ||
| Route | Liverpool (21 Apr) - New York | ||
| Cargo | 2000 tons of sand ballast | ||
| History | | ||
| Notes on loss | At 09.24 hours on 29 Apr, 1943, U-258 fired torpedoes at the convoy ONS-5 and reported hits on three ships. However, only one torpedo hit the McKeesport (Master Oscar John Lohr), the other torpedoes detonated away from the convoy after missing the ship, which had been in station #42 but had fallen slightly astern. The torpedo struck on the starboard side at the collision bulkhead and the #1 hold. The explosion blew out all beams, hatches and ballast, put the steering gear out of order and opened a large hole. The ship continued at full speed for 45 minutes, but developed a list of 20° to port and began to sink further by the head. Then the twelve officers, 31 crewmen and 25 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in and nine 20mm guns) abandoned ship in four lifeboats. Due to the list, they had difficulties to launch the boats, some of them became tangled in the lifenets. The survivors were picked up within 30 minutes by the British armed trawler HMS Northern Gem (FY 194) and landed on 8 May at St.Johns, but one men died of exposure on the vessel. The HMS Tay (K 232) was ordered to sink the ship by gunfire, but apparently the vessel stayed afloat and was sunk at 14.55 hours by two coups de grâce from U-258. | ||
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