At 03.30 hours on 1 Feb 1942, U-109 fired a spread of three torpedoes at the unescorted Tacoma Star (Master Robert George Whitehead) about 387 miles north of Bermuda. One torpedo hit at the forward hold and a second struck amidships in the engine room, causing the ship to sink by the bow after four minutes. The U-boat was just about to meet U-130 (Kals) for refueling when the vessel was spotted at 16.20 hours on 31 January and Bleichrodt began chasing the zigzagging ship. The Germans reported that the crew abandoned ship in five lifeboats but the survivors were not questioned as the vessel had already been identified from her distress signals. These signals were also received ashore and USS Roe (DD 418) was sent to search for survivors but found no trace of the ship because the position 37°33N/69°21W mentioned in the radio message proved to be wrong. The master, 87 crew members and nine gunners were lost.

Compiled by Ken Austin from information supplied by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. www.cwgc.org.

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