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J.A. Bostwick - (1918-1929)
"J.A. Bostwick", seen here as "Cities Service Toledo", during WW2.
About the Ship
Built by Bethlehem Steel Co, Wilmington, Delaware, 1918. 7,929 gross tons; 465 (bp) feet long; 60 feet wide.
Steam Quadruple Expansion engines, single screw. Service speed 10.5 knots. Tanker, yard hull 445.
Ship History
Built for Standard Oil of New Jersey, American flag, in 1919 and named J.A. Bostwick. Tuxpam, Mexico to
New York 1919-1924 tanker service.
Sold in 1929 and renamed Cities Service Toledo, American flag.
Torpedoed and lost in 1942.
The Miramar Ship Index for "J.A. BOSTWICK"
IDNo:
|
2216608
|
Year:
|
1918
|
Name:
|
J.A. BOSTWICK
|
Keel:
|
|
Type:
|
Tanker
|
Launch Date:
|
08.06.1918
|
Flag:
|
USA
|
Date of completion:
|
07.1918
|
Tons:
|
7929
|
Link:
|
-
|
DWT:
|
|
Yard No:
|
445
|
Length overall:
|
|
Ship Design:
|
|
LPP:
|
141.8
|
Country of build:
|
USA
|
Beam:
|
18.3
|
Builder:
|
Bethlehem SB Corp.
|
Material of build:
|
|
Location of yard:
|
Wilmington DE
|
Number of screws/Mchy/Speed(kn):
|
1Q-10.5
|
|
|
Subsequent History:
2929 CITIES SERVICE TOLEDO
Disposal Data:
Torpedoed and suk by (U-158) 29.02 N / 91.59 W on 12.06.1942 (14 dead)
[ Voyage Corpus Christie-Portland ME, crude oil ]
History :
ON
|
LR/IMO
|
ID
|
Year
|
Name
|
Tons
|
Change
|
Registered Owner
|
216608
|
|
2216608
|
1918
|
J.A. BOSTWICK
|
7929
|
|
U.S. Govt.
|
216608
|
|
2216608
|
1918
|
J.A. BOSTWICK
|
7929
|
1919
|
Standard Oil Co of New Jersey
|
216608
|
|
2216608
|
1918
|
J.A. BOSTWICK
|
7929
|
1927
|
Standard Sg Co Inc.
|
216608
|
|
2216608
|
1918
|
CITIES SERVICE TOLEDO
|
7930
|
1929
|
Cities Service Tptn Co Inc.
|
216608
|
|
2216608
|
1918
|
CITIES SERVICE TOLEDO
|
7930
|
1937
|
Cities Service Oil Co Inc.
|
Additional information from Uboat.net :
"Cities Service Toledo", American Steam tanker
Name
|
Cities Service Toledo
|
||
Type:
|
Steam tanker
|
||
Tonnage
|
8,192 tons
|
||
Completed
|
1918 - Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp, Wilmington DE
|
||
Owner
|
Cities Service Oil Co, New York
|
||
Homeport
|
New York
|
||
Date of attack
|
12 Jun 1942
|
Nationality: American
|
|
Fate
|
Sunk by U-158 (Erwin Rostin)
|
||
Position
|
29° 02'N, 91° 59'W - Grid DA 8368
|
||
Complement
|
45 (15 dead and 30 survivors).
|
||
Convoy
|
|
||
Route
|
Corpus Christi, Texas (10 Jun) - Portland, Maine
|
||
Cargo
|
84.000 barrels of crude oil
|
||
History
|
Built as J.A. Bostwick 1929 renamed Cities Service Toledo
|
||
Notes on event
|
At 07.50 hours on 12 June 1942 the unescorted Cities Service Toledo (Master Kosti F. Toivola) was torpedoed by U-158 20 miles east of the Trinity Shoal Light Buoy in the Gulf of Mexico, while she proceeded on a nonevasive course. Two torpedoes struck two seconds apart on the starboard side amidships in the #6 and #7 tanks. The tanker rapidly took a starboard list. Five minutes later two more torpedoes struck the starboard side about amidships at the #4 and #5 tanks, causing the tanker to burst into flames. The armed guards (the ship was armed with one 5in, two .50cal and two .30cal guns) stayed with the ship as long as possible and fired three rounds at a light thought to be the U-boat. The most of the eight officers, 28 crewmen and nine armed guards abandoned ship in two lifeboats, because all rafts and the two other lifeboats were destroyed. One of these lifeboats could not get clear the flames and the men had to jump in the water. The Cities Service Toledo sank about two hours after the second attack. The 17 men in the remaining lifeboat were picked up by the Norwegian motor tanker Belinda several hours later. Eight hours after the attack, the surviving 13 men in the water were picked up by the American steam tanker Gulfking and the Panamanian steam merchant San Antonio. All survivors landed at Burwood, Louisiana and were then sent to New Orleans, where four men were hospitalized. One officer, ten crewmen and four armed guards died.
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- See location on a map -
