Auke Visser's MOBIL Tankers & Tugs Site | home
Astral (5) - (1916-1941)
The fifth "Astral", was build in 1916.
"Astral".
"Astral" at Saigon, French Indo China, November 3rd, 1928.
"Astral" at Palembang, Sumatra, November 8th, 1928.
"Astral" at Singapore.Additional information Starke & Schell registers :
ASTRAL - 1916 USA 1Q (aft) (11)
8,653 Grt for Standard Transportation Co., Inc., New York 439.5 x 58.0
Tanker build by Union Iron Works Co., San Francisco (10) #128 214492
1931 - Standard-Vacuum Transportation Co., Inc., New York
1935 - Socony-Vacuum Oil Co., Inc., New York
Torpedoed and sunk by U 43, 2 Dec 1941, in 35.40N-24.00W, voyage Aruba - Lisbon / Leixoes, oil
(lost with all hands, posted missing).
Astral
LOA 457 ', Beam 58 ', Depth 41 ', 11,960 DWT, 82,148 bbls Quadruple expansion engine 54" stroke 2959 IHP
Launched 20 August and commissioned on 16 October 1916 at Union Plant, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, San Francisco, California.
This ship was the sixth Astral, a name originating as a brandname for a water-white kerosene refined at the Pratt Works in Brooklyn, New York. The name appeared first on one of Pratt's small harbour barges in 1878, which gave it up to a small harbour tug in 1889. In turn, the tug relinquished it to a kerosene clipper which bore it until 1910.
Two ocean tugs carried it in quick succession, one of which was lost on its maiden voyage and the other was renamed the standard in 1916 to permit this present tanker to put Astral on her bows.
In appearance Astral was easily distinguished by her three masts - the only tanker in the fleet so provided. She had 'tween decks for the carriage of case oil and general cargo. The three masts were required to furnish boom facilities for working all hatches.
From the start, Astral was a globe-trotter. During WW I she was left in the China trade, with only her backhauls (coconut oil from the Philippines) requisitioned by the government. In 1931 she was withdrawn from the export trade and brought to the US east coast, where she settled down to domestic deliveries.
In late 1941, Astral's coastal routine was fatefully interrupted. In November 1941, she was assigned to lift a cargo out of Aruba, Netherlands Antilles, for Lisbon, Portugal. She left Aruba on 20 November, three weeks before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent entry of the US into WW II. On this voyage, Astral disappeared with all hands without leaving a trace. For years afterwards, theories abounded on the ultimate fate of Astral. None of them, however, led to any conclusion. The likeliest
assumption is that the Astral was suddenly destroyed by an enemy vessel leaving no avenue of escape for Astral's crew, and that the enemy vessel was itself destroyed before it could reach port and record its deed.
|
The Miramar Ship Index for "ASTRAL"
IDNo:
|
2214492
|
Year:
|
1916
|
Name:
|
ASTRAL
|
Launch Date:
|
20.08.1916
|
Type:
|
Tanker
|
Date of completion:
|
10.1916
|
Flag:
|
USA
|
Keel:
|
|
Tons:
|
8653
|
Link:
|
-
|
DWT:
|
11,960
|
Yard No:
|
128
|
Length overall:
|
|
Ship Design:
|
|
LPP:
|
134.0
|
Country of build:
|
USA
|
Beam:
|
17.7
|
Builder:
|
Union IW
|
Material of build:
|
|
Location of yard:
|
San Francisco
|
Number of screws/Mchy/Speed(kn):
|
1Q-11
|
|
|
Subsequent History:
-
Disposal Data:
Torpedoed and sunk 35.40 N / 24.00 W 02.12.1941 (37 dead)
History :
ON
|
LR/IMO
|
ID
|
Year
|
Name
|
Tons
|
Change
|
Main Owner
|
214492
|
|
2214492
|
1916
|
ASTRAL
|
8653
|
-
|
Standard Tptn Co.
|
214492
|
|
2214492
|
1916
|
ASTRAL
|
8653
|
1931
|
Standard-Vacuum Tptn Co Inc
|
214492
|
|
2214492
|
1916
|
ASTRAL
|
8653
|
1935
|
Socony-Vacuum Oil Co Inc
|
Additional information from Uboat.net :
Name: Astral
Type: Steam tanker
Tonnage: 7.542 tons
Completed: 1916 - Union Iron Works, San Francisco CA
Owner: Socony-Vacuum Oil Co Inc, New York
Homeport: New York
Date of attack: 2 Dec, 1941
Nationality: American
Fate: Sunk by U-43 (Wolfgang Lüth)
Position: 35.40N, 24.00W - Grid CF 7588
- See location on a map -
Complement: 37 (37 dead - no survivors)
Convoy:
Route: Aruba - Lisbon, Portugal
Cargo: 78200 bbls of gasoline and kerosene
History:
Notes on loss:
The neutrally marked Astral (Master Chris Alsager) was reported missing after 2 Dec, 1941. At 17.00 hours on 1 December, U-575
(Heydemann) spotted the unescorted and unarmed tanker and tracked her until 20.57 hours. Then Heydemann noticed the painted
American flag on the side and let her go. Also about 17.00 hours, U-43 spotted the tanker, followed her and missed with a first torpedo
shot at 24.00 hours. The torpedo must have been seen by someone on the Astral, because she immediately began steaming a zigzag
course at full speed to escape. The U-boat followed throughout the full moon night. At 09.24 hours on 2 December, the tanker was hit
by two torpedoes, one in the stern and one amidships. The Astral exploded into flames and sank within minutes. The flaming cargo in
the water burned for an hour longer. No survivors among the eight officers and 29 men on board.
This was the third of the four American merchant ships sunk by U-boats prior to America´s entry to the war. The others were Robin
Moor, Lehigh and Sagadahoc.