Entered the service from Iowa.
USNR WORLD WAR II
Seaman 1st/Class, Alfred E. Daniels MIA/KIA
Official Date of Death 24-Feb-44
Hometown: Iowa
Service # 6208587
Awards: Purple Heart
Master Thorbjorn Leerberg
Ship: American Steam merchant Jonathan Sturges
Mission: Transport Convoy ON-166 (straggler)
Loss Date: 23-Feb-43
Location: 46.15N, 38.11W - Grid BC 9328
Sunk by U-707 (Günter Gretschel)
Crew: 75 (51 dead and 24 survivors).
Notes on event
At 01.11 hours and 01.14 hours on 24 Feb, 1943, U-707 fired two torpedoes at stragglers just behind the convoy ON-166 during a squall and reported one ship sunk and another damaged. In fact, both torpedoes struck the Jonathan Sturges in the #1 and #2 holds. The engines were secured and the eight officers, 36 crewmen and 31 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 3in and eight 20mm guns) abandoned ship in three lifeboats and four rafts, but one of the boats swamped in the heavy seas and the occupants were picked up by the other lifeboats. The vessel was last seen barely above the water with her stern in the air, almost broken in two forward of amidships. Four crew members and 11 armed guards went down with the ship.
On 27 February, a boat with 23 survivors came across a boat with three Lascar seamen from the Madoera, which had been torpedoed by U-653 (Feiler) at the same time. Four crew members and two armed guards were transferred to the foreign boat, which had already picked up eight crew members and four armed guards from rafts. The survivors in this boat were picked up by USS Belknap (DD 351) on 12 March and landed in Argentia, Newfoundland, two days later, but one crew member died of exposure. The other lifeboat with the master, the chief mate, 11 crew members and four armed guards was never heard of again, like another boat containing ten crew members and seven armed guards.
The last lifeboat with five crew members and two armed guards was found on 5 April by U-336 (Hunger) in 50°04N/25°15W, but one crew member already died of exposure on 22 March. The survivors were picked up by the U-boat and landed at Brest on 11 April, later transferred to a POW camp near Bremen.
USN Crew
Wilburn L. Berry
Arthur L. Billman
Joseph P. Bliske Jr.
Edward M. Clark
Alfred E. Daniels
Lonnie W. Gilliam
John H. Gilreath Jr.
Eugene H. Habberfield
William Hersey
Collins D. Holt
George F. Howell
George F. Howell
Vivian I. Hoyle
Vivian I. Hoyle
Patsy T. Igneri
Dale W. Jackson
Jerome N. Jacobson
Jerome N. Jacobson
Dale W. Jackson
Richard N. Longhany
Hayden R. Lunsford Jr.
Raymond J. Masog
Morgan J. Mcconnell
Frank D. Nigro
Leo F. Rohrbach
Grayson B. Watkins
USNR WORLD WAR II
Seaman 1st/Class, Alfred E. Daniels MIA/KIA
Official Date of Death 24-Feb-44
Hometown: Iowa
Service # 6208587
Awards: Purple Heart
Master Thorbjorn Leerberg
Ship: American Steam merchant Jonathan Sturges
Mission: Transport Convoy ON-166 (straggler)
Loss Date: 23-Feb-43
Location: 46.15N, 38.11W - Grid BC 9328
Sunk by U-707 (Günter Gretschel)
Crew: 75 (51 dead and 24 survivors).
Notes on event
At 01.11 hours and 01.14 hours on 24 Feb, 1943, U-707 fired two torpedoes at stragglers just behind the convoy ON-166 during a squall and reported one ship sunk and another damaged. In fact, both torpedoes struck the Jonathan Sturges in the #1 and #2 holds. The engines were secured and the eight officers, 36 crewmen and 31 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 3in and eight 20mm guns) abandoned ship in three lifeboats and four rafts, but one of the boats swamped in the heavy seas and the occupants were picked up by the other lifeboats. The vessel was last seen barely above the water with her stern in the air, almost broken in two forward of amidships. Four crew members and 11 armed guards went down with the ship.
On 27 February, a boat with 23 survivors came across a boat with three Lascar seamen from the Madoera, which had been torpedoed by U-653 (Feiler) at the same time. Four crew members and two armed guards were transferred to the foreign boat, which had already picked up eight crew members and four armed guards from rafts. The survivors in this boat were picked up by USS Belknap (DD 351) on 12 March and landed in Argentia, Newfoundland, two days later, but one crew member died of exposure. The other lifeboat with the master, the chief mate, 11 crew members and four armed guards was never heard of again, like another boat containing ten crew members and seven armed guards.
The last lifeboat with five crew members and two armed guards was found on 5 April by U-336 (Hunger) in 50°04N/25°15W, but one crew member already died of exposure on 22 March. The survivors were picked up by the U-boat and landed at Brest on 11 April, later transferred to a POW camp near Bremen.
USN Crew
Wilburn L. Berry
Arthur L. Billman
Joseph P. Bliske Jr.
Edward M. Clark
Alfred E. Daniels
Lonnie W. Gilliam
John H. Gilreath Jr.
Eugene H. Habberfield
William Hersey
Collins D. Holt
George F. Howell
George F. Howell
Vivian I. Hoyle
Vivian I. Hoyle
Patsy T. Igneri
Dale W. Jackson
Jerome N. Jacobson
Jerome N. Jacobson
Dale W. Jackson
Richard N. Longhany
Hayden R. Lunsford Jr.
Raymond J. Masog
Morgan J. Mcconnell
Frank D. Nigro
Leo F. Rohrbach
Grayson B. Watkins
Entered the service from Iowa.
USNR WORLD WAR II
Seaman 1st/Class, Alfred E. Daniels MIA/KIA
Official Date of Death 24-Feb-44
Hometown: Iowa
Service # 6208587
Awards: Purple Heart
Master Thorbjorn Leerberg
Ship: American Steam merchant Jonathan Sturges
Mission: Transport Convoy ON-166 (straggler)
Loss Date: 23-Feb-43
Location: 46.15N, 38.11W - Grid BC 9328
Sunk by U-707 (Günter Gretschel)
Crew: 75 (51 dead and 24 survivors).
Notes on event
At 01.11 hours and 01.14 hours on 24 Feb, 1943, U-707 fired two torpedoes at stragglers just behind the convoy ON-166 during a squall and reported one ship sunk and another damaged. In fact, both torpedoes struck the Jonathan Sturges in the #1 and #2 holds. The engines were secured and the eight officers, 36 crewmen and 31 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 3in and eight 20mm guns) abandoned ship in three lifeboats and four rafts, but one of the boats swamped in the heavy seas and the occupants were picked up by the other lifeboats. The vessel was last seen barely above the water with her stern in the air, almost broken in two forward of amidships. Four crew members and 11 armed guards went down with the ship.
On 27 February, a boat with 23 survivors came across a boat with three Lascar seamen from the Madoera, which had been torpedoed by U-653 (Feiler) at the same time. Four crew members and two armed guards were transferred to the foreign boat, which had already picked up eight crew members and four armed guards from rafts. The survivors in this boat were picked up by USS Belknap (DD 351) on 12 March and landed in Argentia, Newfoundland, two days later, but one crew member died of exposure. The other lifeboat with the master, the chief mate, 11 crew members and four armed guards was never heard of again, like another boat containing ten crew members and seven armed guards.
The last lifeboat with five crew members and two armed guards was found on 5 April by U-336 (Hunger) in 50°04N/25°15W, but one crew member already died of exposure on 22 March. The survivors were picked up by the U-boat and landed at Brest on 11 April, later transferred to a POW camp near Bremen.
USN Crew
Wilburn L. Berry
Arthur L. Billman
Joseph P. Bliske Jr.
Edward M. Clark
Alfred E. Daniels
Lonnie W. Gilliam
John H. Gilreath Jr.
Eugene H. Habberfield
William Hersey
Collins D. Holt
George F. Howell
George F. Howell
Vivian I. Hoyle
Vivian I. Hoyle
Patsy T. Igneri
Dale W. Jackson
Jerome N. Jacobson
Jerome N. Jacobson
Dale W. Jackson
Richard N. Longhany
Hayden R. Lunsford Jr.
Raymond J. Masog
Morgan J. Mcconnell
Frank D. Nigro
Leo F. Rohrbach
Grayson B. Watkins
USNR WORLD WAR II
Seaman 1st/Class, Alfred E. Daniels MIA/KIA
Official Date of Death 24-Feb-44
Hometown: Iowa
Service # 6208587
Awards: Purple Heart
Master Thorbjorn Leerberg
Ship: American Steam merchant Jonathan Sturges
Mission: Transport Convoy ON-166 (straggler)
Loss Date: 23-Feb-43
Location: 46.15N, 38.11W - Grid BC 9328
Sunk by U-707 (Günter Gretschel)
Crew: 75 (51 dead and 24 survivors).
Notes on event
At 01.11 hours and 01.14 hours on 24 Feb, 1943, U-707 fired two torpedoes at stragglers just behind the convoy ON-166 during a squall and reported one ship sunk and another damaged. In fact, both torpedoes struck the Jonathan Sturges in the #1 and #2 holds. The engines were secured and the eight officers, 36 crewmen and 31 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 3in and eight 20mm guns) abandoned ship in three lifeboats and four rafts, but one of the boats swamped in the heavy seas and the occupants were picked up by the other lifeboats. The vessel was last seen barely above the water with her stern in the air, almost broken in two forward of amidships. Four crew members and 11 armed guards went down with the ship.
On 27 February, a boat with 23 survivors came across a boat with three Lascar seamen from the Madoera, which had been torpedoed by U-653 (Feiler) at the same time. Four crew members and two armed guards were transferred to the foreign boat, which had already picked up eight crew members and four armed guards from rafts. The survivors in this boat were picked up by USS Belknap (DD 351) on 12 March and landed in Argentia, Newfoundland, two days later, but one crew member died of exposure. The other lifeboat with the master, the chief mate, 11 crew members and four armed guards was never heard of again, like another boat containing ten crew members and seven armed guards.
The last lifeboat with five crew members and two armed guards was found on 5 April by U-336 (Hunger) in 50°04N/25°15W, but one crew member already died of exposure on 22 March. The survivors were picked up by the U-boat and landed at Brest on 11 April, later transferred to a POW camp near Bremen.
USN Crew
Wilburn L. Berry
Arthur L. Billman
Joseph P. Bliske Jr.
Edward M. Clark
Alfred E. Daniels
Lonnie W. Gilliam
John H. Gilreath Jr.
Eugene H. Habberfield
William Hersey
Collins D. Holt
George F. Howell
George F. Howell
Vivian I. Hoyle
Vivian I. Hoyle
Patsy T. Igneri
Dale W. Jackson
Jerome N. Jacobson
Jerome N. Jacobson
Dale W. Jackson
Richard N. Longhany
Hayden R. Lunsford Jr.
Raymond J. Masog
Morgan J. Mcconnell
Frank D. Nigro
Leo F. Rohrbach
Grayson B. Watkins
Inscription
SEAMAN 1C USNR IOWA
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