L.J. Drake
American Steam tanker
| Name | L.J. Drake | ||
| Type: | Steam tanker | ||
| Tonnage | 6,693 tons | ||
| Completed | 1918 - Ames Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co, Seattle WA | ||
| Owner | Standard Oil Co of New Jersey, New York | ||
| Homeport | Wilmington | ||
| Date of attack | 5 Jun 1942 | Nationality:  American | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-68 (Karl-Friedrich Merten) | ||
| Position | 17° 30'N, 68° 20'W - Grid ED 1749 | ||
| Complement | 41 (41 dead - no survivors) | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Aruba (4 Jun) - San Juan, Puerto Rico | ||
| Cargo | 72,961 barrels of gasoline | ||
| History | Completed in August 1918 for US Shipping Board (USSB). 1919 sold to Standard Oil Co of New Jersey, New York. | ||
| Notes on event | At 20.49 hours on 5 June 1942, U-68 fired a spread of three G7e torpedoes at the unescorted L.J. Drake (Master Peter Nielsen) and hit her with all three after 45 seconds. The tanker exploded in flames and afterwards nothing remained but pieces of wreckage. None of the eight officers, 27 crewmen and six armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 3in, two .50cal and two .30cal guns) survived. | ||
| On board | We have details of 41 people who were on board. | ||
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