From above: "U.S.A.: At 12:15pm U-853, five miles southeast of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, torpedoes and sinks USS Eagle (PE-56). The Eagle was at a dead stop. The explosion amidships sends a geyser of steam and water 200 feet skyward, breaking the ship in two and sinking her within minutes. 49 seamen are killed." As per wiki: The loss was classified as a boiler explosion until 2001 when historical evidence convinced the US Navy to reclassify the sinking as a combat loss due to enemy action. Sinking and Investigation Eagle 56 was assigned to Naval Air Station Brunswick from 28 June 1944. At noon on 23 April 1945, Eagle 56 exploded amidships, and broke into two pieces 3 mi (4.8 km) off Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The destroyer Selfridge was operating near Eagle 56 and arrived 30 minutes after the explosion to rescue 13 survivors from the crew of 62. Selfridge obtained a sharp, well-defined sonar contact during the rescue and dropped nine Mark IX Mod 2 depth charges without obvious result. According to a classified Navy report, U-853 had been operating in the waters off Maine. At a Naval Board of Inquiry in Portland the following week, five of the 13 survivors claimed to have seen a submarine. Several spotted a red and yellow emblem on the submarine's sail. These insignia match the markings of U-853: a red horse on a yellow shield. Eagle 56 's boiler was overhauled just two weeks before the sinking, and none of the boilers on the other 59 Eagle Boats had failed. Nevertheless, the official Navy inquiry concluded that Eagle 56 had suffered a boiler explosion. On 5 May 1945, U-853 sank the collier Black Point off the coast of Point Judith, Rhode Island causing the loss of twelve lives. During the ensuing Battle of Point Judith U-853 was chased and sunk by Navy and Coast Guard ships. ======================================================= This happened about 10 miles from where I am in Portland, Maine. This is the first I have ever heard of this.
Trying again, some errant code got in there.
From above: “U.S.A.: At 12:15pm U-853, five miles southeast of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, torpedoes and sinks USS Eagle (PE-56). The Eagle was at a dead stop. The explosion amidships sends a geyser of steam and water 200 feet skyward, breaking the ship in two and sinking her within minutes. 49 seamen are killed.”
As per wiki: The loss was classified as a boiler explosion until 2001 when historical evidence convinced the US Navy to reclassify the sinking as a combat loss due to enemy action.
Sinking and Investigation
Eagle 56 was assigned to Naval Air Station Brunswick from 28 June 1944. At noon on 23 April 1945, Eagle 56 exploded amidships, and broke into two pieces 3 mi (4.8 km) off Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The destroyer Selfridge was operating near Eagle 56 and arrived 30 minutes after the explosion to rescue 13 survivors from the crew of 62. Selfridge obtained a sharp, well-defined sonar contact during the rescue and dropped nine Mark IX Mod 2 depth charges without obvious result. According to a classified Navy report, U-853 had been operating in the waters off Maine. At a Naval Board of Inquiry in Portland the following week, five of the 13 survivors claimed to have seen a submarine. Several spotted a red and yellow emblem on the submarine’s sail. These insignia match the markings of U-853: a red horse on a yellow shield. Eagle 56’s boiler was overhauled just two weeks before the sinking, and none of the boilers on the other 59 Eagle Boats had failed. Nevertheless, the official Navy inquiry concluded that Eagle 56 had suffered a boiler explosion.
On 5 May 1945, U-853 sank the collier Black Point off the coast of Point Judith, Rhode Island causing the loss of twelve lives. During the ensuing Battle of Point Judith U-853 was chased and sunk by Navy and Coast Guard ships.
This happened about 10 miles from where I am in Portland, Maine. This is the first I have ever heard of this.