Tamaulipas
(a.k.a. The Far East Tanker)
Diving Depths: 135-160 ft.
Visibility: Generally very good; range 50 to 100+ ft.
Current: Slight to undiveable
Summer Temperature: high 70s to lo 80s with occasional thermocline
Points of Interest: Stern: Two large boilers, very large engine, stern anchor, propeller, rudder, somewhat intact stern, intact deck and hull section forward of the boilers; Bow: Upside down, but intact.
Due to depth we will only be taking experienced divers that have the certification for both 150ft or deeper and deco diving. Large doubles or CCR recommended.
Visibility: Generally very good; range 50 to 100+ ft.
Current: Slight to undiveable
Summer Temperature: high 70s to lo 80s with occasional thermocline
Points of Interest: Stern: Two large boilers, very large engine, stern anchor, propeller, rudder, somewhat intact stern, intact deck and hull section forward of the boilers; Bow: Upside down, but intact.
Due to depth we will only be taking experienced divers that have the certification for both 150ft or deeper and deco diving. Large doubles or CCR recommended.
Until 1941, the tanker Tamaulipas was owned by Mallory & Company of New York, NY and ran under the name Hugoton until 1941 when it was sold to the Mexican Trading and Shipping Company and renamed. As the Tamaulipas it made the run from Tampico in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico carrying various petroleum products to the refinaries in the United States.
On the night of April 9, 1942, the Tamaulipas had just passed Cape Lookout, NC. She was traveling alone and unarmed carrying 70,000 barrels of gas oil. Her destination was New York City. So far her trip had been uneventful, but that was soon to change. Sometime before midnight a ship's lookout reported that a torpedo had just crossed the tankers wake. Captain Falkenberg immediately ordered the Tamaulipas into a zig-zag course. If he was being tracked by a u-boat, he wanted to make his ship as difficult a target as possible. Just after midnight, another lookout reported that motors were heard astern of the Tamaulipas. The captain immediately orderd hard starboard, but to no avail. At 12:27am, a torpedo from the U-552 hit the tanker on the starboard side just aft of the midship house at the #5 tank. The explosion broke the back of the Tamaulipas and soon spread burning flames of oil over the water and mortally wounded tanker. She started to settle amidships with her stern and bow above water.
Recognizing his ship was dead, the captain ordered the Tamaulipas abandoned 5 minutes after the torpedo struck. They escaped in #1 and #3 lifeboats. A few hours later, the 35 survivors were picked up by the HMS Norwich City and taken to Morehead City, NC. There they joined survivors of the Atlas which was sunk earlier on April 9, another victim of the U-552.
The U-552 was responsible for a particularly deadly week off of Virginia/North Carolina, also sinking the David H. Atwater, Byron T. Benson, British Splendour, and Lancing.
On the night of April 9, 1942, the Tamaulipas had just passed Cape Lookout, NC. She was traveling alone and unarmed carrying 70,000 barrels of gas oil. Her destination was New York City. So far her trip had been uneventful, but that was soon to change. Sometime before midnight a ship's lookout reported that a torpedo had just crossed the tankers wake. Captain Falkenberg immediately ordered the Tamaulipas into a zig-zag course. If he was being tracked by a u-boat, he wanted to make his ship as difficult a target as possible. Just after midnight, another lookout reported that motors were heard astern of the Tamaulipas. The captain immediately orderd hard starboard, but to no avail. At 12:27am, a torpedo from the U-552 hit the tanker on the starboard side just aft of the midship house at the #5 tank. The explosion broke the back of the Tamaulipas and soon spread burning flames of oil over the water and mortally wounded tanker. She started to settle amidships with her stern and bow above water.
Recognizing his ship was dead, the captain ordered the Tamaulipas abandoned 5 minutes after the torpedo struck. They escaped in #1 and #3 lifeboats. A few hours later, the 35 survivors were picked up by the HMS Norwich City and taken to Morehead City, NC. There they joined survivors of the Atlas which was sunk earlier on April 9, another victim of the U-552.
The U-552 was responsible for a particularly deadly week off of Virginia/North Carolina, also sinking the David H. Atwater, Byron T. Benson, British Splendour, and Lancing.
