SS Norlindo
Steam Freighter · United States · Lost 1942 · The Gulf of Mexico
An unarmed steam freighter torpedoed off the Dry Tortugas in 1942, the first WWII combat loss in the Gulf of Mexico.
E. M. Hollis
See Shipwreck on Map
The Vessel and Her Loss
Built in 1920 as Lake Glaucus and later renamed Volusia and then Norlindo, this steam freighter was torpedoed by U-507 on May 4, 1942, about 80 miles northwest of the Dry Tortugas while sailing in ballast from Mobile to Havana. Five crewmen died; 23 survivors were rescued two days later. The sinking marked the first WWII combat casualty in the Gulf of Mexico. Despite modern search expeditions, the wreck itself has not been located.
Vessel
- 1920
- Globe Shipbuilding Co
- Superior, Wisconsin
- Steel
- 253 ft
- Not established
- 2686
- Steam, single screw
- Merchants & Miners Transportation Co, Baltimore MD
Loss
- May 4, 1942
- Enemy action
- About 80 miles northwest of Dry Tortugas, Florida
- Gulf of Mexico
- Mobile, Alabama → Havana, Cuba
- None (in ballast)
- 28
- 5
- Clesson E. Pierce
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Undiscovered as of recent search expeditions.
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- 24.95° N 84.00° W
- Approximate position
- Dry Tortugas, Florida
Position from uboat.net attack record (24°57'N, 84°00'W); wreck itself remains unlocated.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (75/100)
The wreck site itself has not been located; depth, condition, and precise position remain unknown.
NOAA Ocean Exploration, The Search for Norlindo
Loss date, cause, ongoing search history.
Attack details, casualties, rescue account, position.
