AH-WR-0342

SS Coimbra

Tanker · United Kingdom · Lost 1942 · Long Island & the New York Approaches

A lubricating-oil tanker was torpedoed twice off the Hamptons by a German U-boat, its burning cargo visible from shore 27 miles away.

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Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Documented Likeness. Drawn from surviving builder's plans or clear photographs of this vessel. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Coimbra was a British steam tanker carrying lubricating oil from Bayonne, New Jersey, toward the United Kingdom when the German submarine U-123 torpedoed her twice off Long Island on 15 January 1942. The blast and resulting fire were visible from the Hamptons. Thirty-six of forty-six crew died, many from exposure before rescue. In 2019 a major salvage operation removed hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil still aboard the wreck.

Vessel

Built: 1937
Builder: Howaldtswerke AG
Yard: Kiel, Germany
Material: Steel
Length: 423 ft
Beam: 60 ft
Tonnage: 6768
Propulsion: Steam, single screw
Owners: Socony Vacuum Transportation Co Ltd

Loss

Date: January 15, 1942
Cause: Enemy action
Location: About 27 miles south of the Hamptons, Long Island, New York
Water: Atlantic Ocean
Voyage: Bayonne, New Jersey → United Kingdom, via Halifax
Cargo: 8,038 tons of lubricating oil
Aboard: 46
Lives lost: 36
Master: John Patrick Barnard (died of exposure after the sinking)

The Wreck Today

Depth: 165-190
Condition: Broken at both torpedo impact points, lying on her starboard side
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established