Sinking of the USS Reuben James OCT 31, 1941

[Roadawg]

Turn on your speakers!

Hopefully the above link will work for you. For those that don't know the history the USS Reuben James DD 245, was a WW 1 Clemsen class "flush deck Four Piper". She was on Neutality Patrol with a convoy in the Atlantic when sunk by a German U Boat. The date was Oct 31, 1941, the USA did not enter hostilities (officially) until after Peral Harbor was attacked, on Dec 7, 1941.

I recently met a crewman ( Enginman) of the USS Niblack DD 424 which also was in that same convoy a stern of the Rueben James when she was torpedoed. When the Reuben James was torpedoed and sunk with large lost of life the USS Niblack stopped to render aid and rescue survivors ( this was because we weren't at war- yet). After the War the captain of the German U Boat became an Admiral in the post war German Navy. It was then he revealed that he also had the USS Niblack in his sights but decided not to sink her as she was conducting a humanitarian rescue operation. There would be more opportunities to sink Allied ships later.

This Oct 31 is the 69th anniversary of the sinking of the USS Reuben James and loss all but 44 of her crew.

I have never heard of this song before and the tribute to these sailors seemed appropriate to pass along.

Bob B.

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