AH-WR-1009

John R. Williams

Steam Tug · United States · Lost 1942 · Delaware Bay & the Approaches

A Moran ocean tug on rescue-and-salvage duty struck a German mine at the entrance to Delaware Bay in 1942, sinking instantly with 14 of her 18 crew.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

John R. Williams was a steel steam tug built in 1913 and later operated by Moran Towing for rescue and salvage work out of the Cape May Naval Air Station. On 24 June 1942 she struck a mine that the German submarine U-373 had laid off the entrance to Delaware Bay two weeks earlier. The explosion tore into her port side and sank her almost immediately, killing 14 of her 18 crew; the four survivors were blown overboard and rescued about an hour later.

Vessel

Built: 1913
Builder: Staten Island Shipbuilding Co.
Yard: Richmond (Staten Island), New York
Material: Steel
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: 396
Propulsion: Steam, single screw
Owners: Moran Towing & Transportation Co., New York (built for Hilton-Dodge Lumber Co., Wilmington, DE; renamed 1928 for Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co.)

Loss

Date: June 24, 1942
Cause: Enemy action
Location: Delaware Bay entrance off Cape May, New Jersey
Water: Atlantic Ocean / Delaware Bay approaches
Voyage: Cape May Naval Air Station, New Jersey → Returning to Cape May after being ordered toward Fenwick Island Shoals
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: 18
Lives lost: 14
Master: Master Leroy Herbert Allen

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 38.75° N 74.83° W
Accuracy: Reported, unconfirmed
Nearest: Cape May, New Jersey, entrance to Delaware Bay
Region: Delaware Bay & the Approaches

Position of 38°45'N, 74°50'W is reported by uboat.net; not verified against an independent hydrographic survey.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Documented (80/100)

The wreck's exact present-day position and condition have not been independently confirmed in the sources reviewed.

uboat.net, Allied Ships Hit by U-boats
Vessel history, tonnage, builder, owner, date/cause of loss, reported position, and casualty count.
United States Navy Memorial, Lost at Sea Log
Confirmation of loss date, cause, and names of crew lost.
Eric Wiberg, U-boat patrol history of U-373
Context of U-373's minelaying mission at the entrance to Delaware Bay and confirmation of the tug's loss to that minefield.