AH-WR-0703

SS Tolten

Cargo Ship · Chile · Lost 1942 · The New Jersey Coast

A neutral Chilean freighter torpedoed off Barnegat in 1942 after its own government ordered it to sail fully lit, with the loss of all 27 aboard.

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Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Tolten was a Chilean-flagged cargo ship, formerly the Danish Lotta, requisitioned after Denmark fell to Germany. Sailing under neutral colors and fully illuminated per Chilean government orders, she was torpedoed by U-404 off Barnegat, New Jersey, in March 1942 and sank within six minutes with all 27 crew lost. The U-boat commander later said he could not identify the ship in the dark before firing.

Vessel

Built: 1938
Builder: Aalborg Vaerft A/S
Yard: Aalborg, Denmark
Material: Steel
Length: 298 ft
Beam: 44 ft
Tonnage: 1858
Propulsion: Oil-fired steam turbine, single screw
Owners: Compania Sud Americana de Vapores (Chilean government)

Loss

Date: March 13, 1942
Cause: Enemy action
Location: About 32 nautical miles off Barnegat, New Jersey
Water: Atlantic Ocean
Voyage: Baltimore, Maryland → New York City
Cargo: In ballast
Aboard: 27
Lives lost: 27
Master: Aquiles Ramirez

The Wreck Today

Depth: 90-95
Condition: Broken bow rising about 20 feet, flattened midsection from postwar wire-dragging, and enclosed spaces near the stern
Orientation: East-west, contiguous
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established