Son of Mr. Arthur J. Mix, of New Roads, LA.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
USNR
Service No: 6454805
Award: Purple Heart
Entered the Service from Louisiana
On March 1, 1943, the SS Edward B. Dudley was in Savannah, GA, taking on its first cargo. The Liberty ship had recently been built in Wilmington, NC and this was the first leg of its maiden voyage. From Savannah, the ship sailed to New York where it took on additional cargo, bound for Liverpool via Halifax, Nova Scotia. Total cargo at this point was 4000 tons of Cotton, munitions and food.
The ship was armed with one 4in and nine 20mm guns and a US Navy Armed Guard crew to man them, including Seaman First Class WILLIAM JOSEPH MIX. On April 4, 1943, the Edward B. Dudley left New York with convoy HX-232, bound for Halifax.
After leaving Halifax, still in convoy, the Edward B. Dudley began to straggle and fall behind the convoy. There is speculation that this was due to (a) bent propeller blade(s). Whatever the reason, the ship was not seen or heard from again and none of the 69 men on board were ever found.
Some years later, the fates of the Edward B. Dudley and her men were learned from German Naval Records. The following is a narrative based on the information in those records.
On Apr 10th, the Liberty ship was spotted in the North Atlantic (52N, 39W) by German submarine U-615. The sub fired off a spread of four torpedoes, but only one hit the ship and it failed to explode. In an effort to evade other torpedoes, the ship began a zigzag course. The sub followed it all that night, finally getting ahead of the ship and waiting for it to approach. When the Edward B. Dudley came within its sights, the u-boat fired two torpedoes, hitting it amidships and causing it to stop - but it did not sink. U-615 then came to within a half mile of the ship and fired another torpedo, hitting the stern and detonating the magazine for the 4-in gun. Although the Edward B. Dudley remained afloat, the crew began abandoning ship in the lifeboats. The sub moved closer and fired a fourth torpedo, hitting the ship under the bridge and igniting its cargo of munitions which exploded and utterly destroyed the Liberty ship. So great was the explosion, that even those who had made it into the life boats were probably killed at that time.
There were 42 Merchant Mariners and 27 US Navy Armed Guards on board. None survived.
Epilogue: Falling debris damaged U-615 and wounded its captain (Kapitsky), causing the sub to end it's patrol and return to base. On its next patrol, U-615 was sunk in the Caribbean by allied aircraft.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
About the US NAVY ARMED GUARD
"The U.S. Navy Armed Guard was a service branch of the United States Navy that was responsible for defending U.S. and Allied merchant ships from attack by enemy aircraft, submarines and surface ships during World War II.
The men of the Armed Guard served as gunners, signal men and radio operators on cargo ships, tankers, troop ships and other merchant vessels..."
from:http://www.armed-guard.com/about-ag.html
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
William Mix's name is included in the Tablets of the Missing on the Memorial Wall, Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Coton, Cambridgeshire, England.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
USNR
Service No: 6454805
Award: Purple Heart
Entered the Service from Louisiana
On March 1, 1943, the SS Edward B. Dudley was in Savannah, GA, taking on its first cargo. The Liberty ship had recently been built in Wilmington, NC and this was the first leg of its maiden voyage. From Savannah, the ship sailed to New York where it took on additional cargo, bound for Liverpool via Halifax, Nova Scotia. Total cargo at this point was 4000 tons of Cotton, munitions and food.
The ship was armed with one 4in and nine 20mm guns and a US Navy Armed Guard crew to man them, including Seaman First Class WILLIAM JOSEPH MIX. On April 4, 1943, the Edward B. Dudley left New York with convoy HX-232, bound for Halifax.
After leaving Halifax, still in convoy, the Edward B. Dudley began to straggle and fall behind the convoy. There is speculation that this was due to (a) bent propeller blade(s). Whatever the reason, the ship was not seen or heard from again and none of the 69 men on board were ever found.
Some years later, the fates of the Edward B. Dudley and her men were learned from German Naval Records. The following is a narrative based on the information in those records.
On Apr 10th, the Liberty ship was spotted in the North Atlantic (52N, 39W) by German submarine U-615. The sub fired off a spread of four torpedoes, but only one hit the ship and it failed to explode. In an effort to evade other torpedoes, the ship began a zigzag course. The sub followed it all that night, finally getting ahead of the ship and waiting for it to approach. When the Edward B. Dudley came within its sights, the u-boat fired two torpedoes, hitting it amidships and causing it to stop - but it did not sink. U-615 then came to within a half mile of the ship and fired another torpedo, hitting the stern and detonating the magazine for the 4-in gun. Although the Edward B. Dudley remained afloat, the crew began abandoning ship in the lifeboats. The sub moved closer and fired a fourth torpedo, hitting the ship under the bridge and igniting its cargo of munitions which exploded and utterly destroyed the Liberty ship. So great was the explosion, that even those who had made it into the life boats were probably killed at that time.
There were 42 Merchant Mariners and 27 US Navy Armed Guards on board. None survived.
Epilogue: Falling debris damaged U-615 and wounded its captain (Kapitsky), causing the sub to end it's patrol and return to base. On its next patrol, U-615 was sunk in the Caribbean by allied aircraft.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
About the US NAVY ARMED GUARD
"The U.S. Navy Armed Guard was a service branch of the United States Navy that was responsible for defending U.S. and Allied merchant ships from attack by enemy aircraft, submarines and surface ships during World War II.
The men of the Armed Guard served as gunners, signal men and radio operators on cargo ships, tankers, troop ships and other merchant vessels..."
from:http://www.armed-guard.com/about-ag.html
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
William Mix's name is included in the Tablets of the Missing on the Memorial Wall, Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Coton, Cambridgeshire, England.
Son of Mr. Arthur J. Mix, of New Roads, LA.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
USNR
Service No: 6454805
Award: Purple Heart
Entered the Service from Louisiana
On March 1, 1943, the SS Edward B. Dudley was in Savannah, GA, taking on its first cargo. The Liberty ship had recently been built in Wilmington, NC and this was the first leg of its maiden voyage. From Savannah, the ship sailed to New York where it took on additional cargo, bound for Liverpool via Halifax, Nova Scotia. Total cargo at this point was 4000 tons of Cotton, munitions and food.
The ship was armed with one 4in and nine 20mm guns and a US Navy Armed Guard crew to man them, including Seaman First Class WILLIAM JOSEPH MIX. On April 4, 1943, the Edward B. Dudley left New York with convoy HX-232, bound for Halifax.
After leaving Halifax, still in convoy, the Edward B. Dudley began to straggle and fall behind the convoy. There is speculation that this was due to (a) bent propeller blade(s). Whatever the reason, the ship was not seen or heard from again and none of the 69 men on board were ever found.
Some years later, the fates of the Edward B. Dudley and her men were learned from German Naval Records. The following is a narrative based on the information in those records.
On Apr 10th, the Liberty ship was spotted in the North Atlantic (52N, 39W) by German submarine U-615. The sub fired off a spread of four torpedoes, but only one hit the ship and it failed to explode. In an effort to evade other torpedoes, the ship began a zigzag course. The sub followed it all that night, finally getting ahead of the ship and waiting for it to approach. When the Edward B. Dudley came within its sights, the u-boat fired two torpedoes, hitting it amidships and causing it to stop - but it did not sink. U-615 then came to within a half mile of the ship and fired another torpedo, hitting the stern and detonating the magazine for the 4-in gun. Although the Edward B. Dudley remained afloat, the crew began abandoning ship in the lifeboats. The sub moved closer and fired a fourth torpedo, hitting the ship under the bridge and igniting its cargo of munitions which exploded and utterly destroyed the Liberty ship. So great was the explosion, that even those who had made it into the life boats were probably killed at that time.
There were 42 Merchant Mariners and 27 US Navy Armed Guards on board. None survived.
Epilogue: Falling debris damaged U-615 and wounded its captain (Kapitsky), causing the sub to end it's patrol and return to base. On its next patrol, U-615 was sunk in the Caribbean by allied aircraft.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
About the US NAVY ARMED GUARD
"The U.S. Navy Armed Guard was a service branch of the United States Navy that was responsible for defending U.S. and Allied merchant ships from attack by enemy aircraft, submarines and surface ships during World War II.
The men of the Armed Guard served as gunners, signal men and radio operators on cargo ships, tankers, troop ships and other merchant vessels..."
from:http://www.armed-guard.com/about-ag.html
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
William Mix's name is included in the Tablets of the Missing on the Memorial Wall, Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Coton, Cambridgeshire, England.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
USNR
Service No: 6454805
Award: Purple Heart
Entered the Service from Louisiana
On March 1, 1943, the SS Edward B. Dudley was in Savannah, GA, taking on its first cargo. The Liberty ship had recently been built in Wilmington, NC and this was the first leg of its maiden voyage. From Savannah, the ship sailed to New York where it took on additional cargo, bound for Liverpool via Halifax, Nova Scotia. Total cargo at this point was 4000 tons of Cotton, munitions and food.
The ship was armed with one 4in and nine 20mm guns and a US Navy Armed Guard crew to man them, including Seaman First Class WILLIAM JOSEPH MIX. On April 4, 1943, the Edward B. Dudley left New York with convoy HX-232, bound for Halifax.
After leaving Halifax, still in convoy, the Edward B. Dudley began to straggle and fall behind the convoy. There is speculation that this was due to (a) bent propeller blade(s). Whatever the reason, the ship was not seen or heard from again and none of the 69 men on board were ever found.
Some years later, the fates of the Edward B. Dudley and her men were learned from German Naval Records. The following is a narrative based on the information in those records.
On Apr 10th, the Liberty ship was spotted in the North Atlantic (52N, 39W) by German submarine U-615. The sub fired off a spread of four torpedoes, but only one hit the ship and it failed to explode. In an effort to evade other torpedoes, the ship began a zigzag course. The sub followed it all that night, finally getting ahead of the ship and waiting for it to approach. When the Edward B. Dudley came within its sights, the u-boat fired two torpedoes, hitting it amidships and causing it to stop - but it did not sink. U-615 then came to within a half mile of the ship and fired another torpedo, hitting the stern and detonating the magazine for the 4-in gun. Although the Edward B. Dudley remained afloat, the crew began abandoning ship in the lifeboats. The sub moved closer and fired a fourth torpedo, hitting the ship under the bridge and igniting its cargo of munitions which exploded and utterly destroyed the Liberty ship. So great was the explosion, that even those who had made it into the life boats were probably killed at that time.
There were 42 Merchant Mariners and 27 US Navy Armed Guards on board. None survived.
Epilogue: Falling debris damaged U-615 and wounded its captain (Kapitsky), causing the sub to end it's patrol and return to base. On its next patrol, U-615 was sunk in the Caribbean by allied aircraft.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
About the US NAVY ARMED GUARD
"The U.S. Navy Armed Guard was a service branch of the United States Navy that was responsible for defending U.S. and Allied merchant ships from attack by enemy aircraft, submarines and surface ships during World War II.
The men of the Armed Guard served as gunners, signal men and radio operators on cargo ships, tankers, troop ships and other merchant vessels..."
from:http://www.armed-guard.com/about-ag.html
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
William Mix's name is included in the Tablets of the Missing on the Memorial Wall, Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Coton, Cambridgeshire, England.
Inscription
MIX WILLIAM J SEAMAN 1 C USNR LOUISIANA
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
