Daily Event for May 16, 2008

May 16, 1942 the the SS Ruth Lykes was shelled and sunk in the Caribbean by the U-103. She had been hit
by a torpedo that failed to explode so the U-boat surfaced and shelled the ship until she came to a stop. The
U-boat commander, Kapitänleutnant Werner Winter stopped shelling the ship long enough for the crew to abandon her and then promptly continued to pound the ship until she sank. One crewman was injured by debris after he jumped overboard and was treated by the U-boat crew and then put in one of the lifeboats. This act of kindness aside during the shelling six men were killed on the Ruth Lykes, the survivors were rescued a day and a halflater by a Norwegian steamer and taken to Key West, Florida.
© 2008 Michael W. Pocock
MaritimeQuest.com



Roll of Honor
In memory of those who lost their lives in
SS Ruth Lykes
"Heroes all of them"

Name
Rate
Deem, Frederick L.
2nd Mate
Ford, Fred M.
Able Seaman
Jarvis, Lewis D.
1st Engineer
Medus, Champ E.
2nd Engineer
Noske, John
Cook
Reeves, John W.
Able Seaman


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