SS Gulfpenn
Tanker · United States · Lost 1942 · The Gulf of Mexico
A Gulf Oil tanker sunk by U-506 off the Mississippi Delta, its bridge now host to a living coral colony studied by NOAA scientists.
Become Captain of RecordSee Shipwreck on Map
The Vessel and Her Loss
Gulfpenn was a Gulf Oil Company tanker torpedoed by U-506 while carrying fuel oil from Port Arthur toward Philadelphia. She sank stern-first within minutes about 30 miles off the Mississippi River delta, killing 13 of her 38 crew. Decades later, NOAA researchers documented deep-sea coral growth on her wreckage.
Vessel
- 1921
- Sun Shipbuilding Co
- Chester, Pennsylvania
- Steel
- Not established
- Not established
- 8862
- Steam, single screw
- Gulf Oil Company
Loss
- May 13, 1942
- Enemy action
- About 30 miles off the entrance to the Mississippi River
- Gulf of Mexico
- Port Arthur, Texas → Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- 104,181 barrels of fuel oil
- 38
- 13
- Arthur S. Hodges
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Surveyed by NOAA divers and researchers, with coral growth documented on the bridge.
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- 28.48° N 89.20° W
- Approximate position
- Mississippi River Delta, Louisiana
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (85/100)
NOAA Ocean Explorer, Lophelia II Expedition
Wreck survey, coral colonization.
uboat.net Allied Ships Hit by U-boats
Attack narrative, casualties.
