USS Reuben James was the only loss from convoy HX 156
31 October 1941
The German submarine U-552 sighted the convoy at dawn on 31 October 1941, and torpedoedReuben James as the destroyer approached to investigate the Huff-Duff bearing of the sighting report.[3] A torpedo struck the port side and detonated the forward magazine.[3] The hull aft of the third stack remained afloat for 5 minutes; and 44 men were rescued from the crew of 159.[3]
Reuben James was the first United States warship sunk during World War II.[4]U-552 was driven off by the escort; but U-567 found the convoy that afternoon.
1 November 1941
Task Unit 4.1.3 handed the convoy off to the British 6th Escort Group on 1 November 1941. U-552 and U-567 made two unsuccessful torpedo attacks on 1 November and maintained contact with the convoy through 3 November.[2]Empire Foam launched her Hawker Sea Hurricane to intercept a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor aircraft, which it chased off. The Hurricane pilot was rescued by HMS Broke after ditching his aircraft.[5][6] The convoy reached Liverpool on 5 November.[1]
^Wise, James E. Jr. (1974). "Catapult Off – Parachute Back". United States Naval Institute Proceedings. pp. 70–77.
^Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. p. 79. ISBN1-55750-019-3.
^"Convoy HX.156". Arnold Hague Convoy Database. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
References
Hague, Arnold (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-55750-019-3.
Morison, Samuel Eliot (1975). History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Volume I The Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1943. Little, Brown and Company.
Rohwer, J.; Hummelchen, G. (1992). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945. Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-55750-105-X.
Silverstone, Paul H. (1968). U.S. Warships of World War II. Doubleday and Company.
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