Home >
USS Reuben James sunk.... 1st U.S. warship...
USS Reuben James sunk.... 1st U.S. warship...
Item # 717072
November 01, 1941
THE RALEIGH TIMES, North Carolina, Nov. 1, 1941
* USS Reuben James sunk by German U-boat
* 1st American warship casualty of WWII
The top of the front page has a six column headline: "HEAVY DEATH TOLL FEARED IN REUBEN JAMES SINKING" with subhead, photo of the captain and more. (see images)
Complete with 12 pages, light toning, a little close cut along the right margin, minor margin wear, generally in good condition.
AI notes: On October 31, 1941, the USS Reuben James became the first U.S. Navy warship sunk by hostile action in World War II when it was torpedoed by German submarine U-552 while escorting a convoy west of Iceland. The explosion destroyed the ship’s forward section and caused depth charges to detonate as it sank, resulting in the deaths of 100 of the 160 crew members, including all officers. The sinking occurred before the U.S. officially entered the war and marked a turning point in American public opinion, highlighting the end of neutrality and increasing support for involvement in the conflict. The tragedy was later memorialized in Woody Guthrie’s song “The Sinking of the Reuben James.”
Category: World War II
Available Now
$52.00
