William P. Frye (1901) on:
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''William P. Frye'' was a four-masted steel barque named after a
''William P. Frye'' was a four-masted steel barque named after a US Republican
The Republican Party, also referred to as the GOP ("Grand Old Party"), is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States. The GOP was founded in 1854 by anti-slavery activists who opposed the Kansas–Nebraska Act ...
politician of the same name, from the state of Maine. Built by Arthur Sewall & Co of Bath, Maine she was sunk by the Imperial German Navy raider in 1915. She was the first U.S. vessel sunk during World War I.
Sinking
The ship sailed from Seattle, Washington, on November 4, 1914, with a cargo of of wheat, bound for Queenstown, Falmouth, orPlymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
in the United Kingdom. In 1915 the UK was at war with Imperial Germany; the United States was not yet involved in the war and was officially neutral. Off the coast of Brazil, ''William P. Frye'' encountered the Imperial German Navy raider on January 27, 1915. The Germans stopped and boarded the ship. While ''William P. Frye'' was U.S.-owned and thus a neutral ship, her cargo was deemed a legitimate target because the Germans believed it was bound for Britain’s armed forces. The captain of ''Prinz Eitel Friedrich'', Max Thierichens, ordered that ''William P. Fryes cargo of wheat be thrown overboard. When his orders were not followed fast enough, he took the ship's crew and passengers prisoner and scuttled her on January 28, 1915. ''William P. Frye'' was the first American vessel sunk during World War I.
Aftermath
The crew and passengers of ''William P. Frye'', including some women and children, were part of some 350 people taken prisoner from eleven different ships ''Prinz Eitel Friedrich'' had searched and destroyed. All 350 were released on March 10, 1915, when the German raider docked in the American port ofNewport News, Virginia
Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...
, due to engine trouble. An outraged American government forced the Germans to apologize for the sinking. The owners of the ship, Arthur Sewall & Co., wanted damages for the sinking of the ship and presented a claim for $228,059.54 ($ in ).
See also
* American entry into World War I * United States in World War I * William P. FryeAnnotations
Bibliography
Notes References * - Total pages: 448 * * - Total pages: 297 * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:William P. Frye Ships of Arthur Sewall & Co 1901 ships Merchant ships of the United States World War I merchant ships of the United States Maritime incidents in 1915 Barques