US Navy WORLD WAR II
Seaman 2nd Class, Fred J. Miller MIA/KIA
Hometown: Wyoming
Service # 6600639
Awards: Purple Heart
Master A. Henry Rowe MIA/KIA
Mission: Transport
Ship: Steam tanker Gulfoil
Loss Date: 17-May-42
Cargo: 54.000 barrels of diesel oil, gas enrichment and bunker oil
Location: 28.08N, 89.46W - Grid DA 9561
Fate: Sunk by U-506 (Erich Würdemann)
Complement: 40 (21 dead and 19 survivors).
At 05.34 hours on 17 May 1942, the unescorted Gulfoil (Master A. Henry Rowe) was torpedoed by U-506 about 75 miles southwest of the Mississippi River Delta. The ship had maintained a zigzagging course up to 05.00 hours that day at 9.5 knots. The mate on watch spotted the first torpedo before it hit the starboard side amidships at the #4 tank. The explosion blew the catwalk away from the mainmast to the midships house. 15 seconds later, a second torpedo struck the engine room, killing the three men on watch below. After the first torpedo the vessel list about 40° to starboard, but partially righted herself after the second hit. The tanker sank within two minutes with a heavy starboard list. The crew had no time to launch the boats, only five officers and 14 crewmen out of eight officers, 28 crewmen and four armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in and two .30cal guns) managed to leave the ship on two liferafts. After 35 hours, the survivors were picked up by the Benjamin Brewster and taken to Galveston, Texas.
USN Personnel associated with tanker Gulfoil
Harry Martin Keat
Jefferson Elmer Knox
Fred James Miller
Ray Aubry Miller
Merchant Marine Personnel
Antonio Bedia
Alfred E. Blake
Melchor Chacon
Gordon Clarke
Carl Clevenger
Randolph H. Ginn
Walter S. Hoyt
Booker T. Johnson
B. Bernard Joiner
Abel Osorio
Theodore R. Parmar
A. Henry Rowe
Henrik Salmi
Robert L. Shelley
Victor E. Wallin
John F. White
Leonard E. White
Fritz Wilberding
Seaman 2nd Class, Fred J. Miller MIA/KIA
Hometown: Wyoming
Service # 6600639
Awards: Purple Heart
Master A. Henry Rowe MIA/KIA
Mission: Transport
Ship: Steam tanker Gulfoil
Loss Date: 17-May-42
Cargo: 54.000 barrels of diesel oil, gas enrichment and bunker oil
Location: 28.08N, 89.46W - Grid DA 9561
Fate: Sunk by U-506 (Erich Würdemann)
Complement: 40 (21 dead and 19 survivors).
At 05.34 hours on 17 May 1942, the unescorted Gulfoil (Master A. Henry Rowe) was torpedoed by U-506 about 75 miles southwest of the Mississippi River Delta. The ship had maintained a zigzagging course up to 05.00 hours that day at 9.5 knots. The mate on watch spotted the first torpedo before it hit the starboard side amidships at the #4 tank. The explosion blew the catwalk away from the mainmast to the midships house. 15 seconds later, a second torpedo struck the engine room, killing the three men on watch below. After the first torpedo the vessel list about 40° to starboard, but partially righted herself after the second hit. The tanker sank within two minutes with a heavy starboard list. The crew had no time to launch the boats, only five officers and 14 crewmen out of eight officers, 28 crewmen and four armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in and two .30cal guns) managed to leave the ship on two liferafts. After 35 hours, the survivors were picked up by the Benjamin Brewster and taken to Galveston, Texas.
USN Personnel associated with tanker Gulfoil
Harry Martin Keat
Jefferson Elmer Knox
Fred James Miller
Ray Aubry Miller
Merchant Marine Personnel
Antonio Bedia
Alfred E. Blake
Melchor Chacon
Gordon Clarke
Carl Clevenger
Randolph H. Ginn
Walter S. Hoyt
Booker T. Johnson
B. Bernard Joiner
Abel Osorio
Theodore R. Parmar
A. Henry Rowe
Henrik Salmi
Robert L. Shelley
Victor E. Wallin
John F. White
Leonard E. White
Fritz Wilberding
US Navy WORLD WAR II
Seaman 2nd Class, Fred J. Miller MIA/KIA
Hometown: Wyoming
Service # 6600639
Awards: Purple Heart
Master A. Henry Rowe MIA/KIA
Mission: Transport
Ship: Steam tanker Gulfoil
Loss Date: 17-May-42
Cargo: 54.000 barrels of diesel oil, gas enrichment and bunker oil
Location: 28.08N, 89.46W - Grid DA 9561
Fate: Sunk by U-506 (Erich Würdemann)
Complement: 40 (21 dead and 19 survivors).
At 05.34 hours on 17 May 1942, the unescorted Gulfoil (Master A. Henry Rowe) was torpedoed by U-506 about 75 miles southwest of the Mississippi River Delta. The ship had maintained a zigzagging course up to 05.00 hours that day at 9.5 knots. The mate on watch spotted the first torpedo before it hit the starboard side amidships at the #4 tank. The explosion blew the catwalk away from the mainmast to the midships house. 15 seconds later, a second torpedo struck the engine room, killing the three men on watch below. After the first torpedo the vessel list about 40° to starboard, but partially righted herself after the second hit. The tanker sank within two minutes with a heavy starboard list. The crew had no time to launch the boats, only five officers and 14 crewmen out of eight officers, 28 crewmen and four armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in and two .30cal guns) managed to leave the ship on two liferafts. After 35 hours, the survivors were picked up by the Benjamin Brewster and taken to Galveston, Texas.
USN Personnel associated with tanker Gulfoil
Harry Martin Keat
Jefferson Elmer Knox
Fred James Miller
Ray Aubry Miller
Merchant Marine Personnel
Antonio Bedia
Alfred E. Blake
Melchor Chacon
Gordon Clarke
Carl Clevenger
Randolph H. Ginn
Walter S. Hoyt
Booker T. Johnson
B. Bernard Joiner
Abel Osorio
Theodore R. Parmar
A. Henry Rowe
Henrik Salmi
Robert L. Shelley
Victor E. Wallin
John F. White
Leonard E. White
Fritz Wilberding
Seaman 2nd Class, Fred J. Miller MIA/KIA
Hometown: Wyoming
Service # 6600639
Awards: Purple Heart
Master A. Henry Rowe MIA/KIA
Mission: Transport
Ship: Steam tanker Gulfoil
Loss Date: 17-May-42
Cargo: 54.000 barrels of diesel oil, gas enrichment and bunker oil
Location: 28.08N, 89.46W - Grid DA 9561
Fate: Sunk by U-506 (Erich Würdemann)
Complement: 40 (21 dead and 19 survivors).
At 05.34 hours on 17 May 1942, the unescorted Gulfoil (Master A. Henry Rowe) was torpedoed by U-506 about 75 miles southwest of the Mississippi River Delta. The ship had maintained a zigzagging course up to 05.00 hours that day at 9.5 knots. The mate on watch spotted the first torpedo before it hit the starboard side amidships at the #4 tank. The explosion blew the catwalk away from the mainmast to the midships house. 15 seconds later, a second torpedo struck the engine room, killing the three men on watch below. After the first torpedo the vessel list about 40° to starboard, but partially righted herself after the second hit. The tanker sank within two minutes with a heavy starboard list. The crew had no time to launch the boats, only five officers and 14 crewmen out of eight officers, 28 crewmen and four armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in and two .30cal guns) managed to leave the ship on two liferafts. After 35 hours, the survivors were picked up by the Benjamin Brewster and taken to Galveston, Texas.
USN Personnel associated with tanker Gulfoil
Harry Martin Keat
Jefferson Elmer Knox
Fred James Miller
Ray Aubry Miller
Merchant Marine Personnel
Antonio Bedia
Alfred E. Blake
Melchor Chacon
Gordon Clarke
Carl Clevenger
Randolph H. Ginn
Walter S. Hoyt
Booker T. Johnson
B. Bernard Joiner
Abel Osorio
Theodore R. Parmar
A. Henry Rowe
Henrik Salmi
Robert L. Shelley
Victor E. Wallin
John F. White
Leonard E. White
Fritz Wilberding
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Wyoming.
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