The action of 17 November 1917 was a naval battle of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The action was fought between a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare ro ...

and two

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

destroyers in the

North Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

Action

Based in

Queenstown, Ireland Cobh ( ,), known from 1849 until 1920 as Queenstown, is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. With a population of around 13,000 inhabitants, Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour and home to Ireland's ...

, USS ''Fanning'' and her sister destroyer USS ''Nicholson'' patrolled the eastern waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Their mission was to escort convoys and rescue survivors of sunken merchant ships as well as to seek out and destroy German U-boats. While escorting the eight vessel convoy OQ-20 eastbound, the two destroyers made contact with an enemy submarine. USSNicholsonDD52

With

Arthur S. Carpender Arthur Schuyler Carpender (24 October 1884 – 10 January 1960) was an American admiral who commanded the Allied Naval Forces in the Southwest Pacific Area during World War II. A 1908 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Carpender sa ...

commanding, at 4:10 on 17 November 1917,

Coxswain The coxswain ( , or ) is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from ''cock'', referring to the cockboat, a type of ship's boa ...

Daniel David Loomis of the ''Fanning'' sighted ''U-58'', commanded by

Kapitänleutnant ''Kapitänleutnant'', short: KptLt/in lists: KL, ( en, captain lieutenant) is an officer grade of the captains' military hierarchy group () of the German Bundeswehr. The rank is rated OF-2 in NATO, and equivalent to Hauptmann in the Heer an ...

Gustav Amberger, when the U-boat had surfaced to extend her

periscope A periscope is an instrument for observation over, around or through an object, obstacle or condition that prevents direct line-of-sight observation from an observer's current position. In its simplest form, it consists of an outer case with ...

. The German submarine lined up for a shot at the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

merchant steamer SS ''Welshman'' and almost immediately Officer of the Deck

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

William O. Henry ordered the destroyer to make circles and engage. At 4:00 ''Fanning'' dropped three depth charges, scoring a hit which shook up the U-boat well. Then USS ''Nicholson'' joined in the fighting, commanded by

Frank Berrien Frank Dunn Berrien (August 17, 1877 January 31, 1951) was an American football coach and United States Navy officer. He was the 13th head football coach for the United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, ...

, and dropped another depth charge herself. The Americans spotted ''U-58'' when it surfaced, and ''Fanning'' fired three shots with her stern gun. ''Nicholson'' struck the U-boat with at least one shot from her bow gun. The Germans unsuccessfully returned fire and surrendered at around 4:30. American fire had hit the submarine near its diving planes, making the sub unmaneuverable. Kapitänleutnant Amberger ordered the ballast tanks blown and the submarine went up. Charges also knocked out the main generator aboard the ''Fanning''. If ''U-58'' had surfaced in a battle ready position, ''Fanning'' would have surely been attacked and possibly sunk. The German submariners surrendered and ''Fanning'' maneuvered to take prisoners. That ended the action with an American victory. The ''Fanning'' and ''Nicholson''s sinking of ''U-58'' was one of only a few engagements of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

in which

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

warships sank an enemy submarine. Also the first time U.S. ships sank a submarine in combat. Lieutenant William O. Henry and Coxswain Daniel Lommis both received a

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

for their actions during their encounter with ''U-58''. ''Fanning'' and ''Nicholson'' continued the war escorting and patrolling the North Atlantic, making several more inconclusive contacts with German submarines. Thirty-eight of the 40 crew members of the ''U-58'' survived to become prisoners of war in the United States.

References

* * ^ "Lieutenant Commander Abraham DeSomer, USN (Retired), (1884–1974)". Online Library of Selected Images. U.S. Naval History & Heritage Command. 13 December 2006. http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/pers-us/uspers-d/a-dsomr1.htm. Retrieved on 2009-03-29. * ^ "Tells Whole Story of Sinking U-Boat" (link to PDF). The New York Times. December 30, 1917. https://www.nytimes.com/1917/12/30/archives/tells-whole-story-of-sinking-uboat-destroyers-fanning-and-nicholson.html. Retrieved on 2009-03-29.

Bibliography

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External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:19171117 Naval battles of World War I involving Germany Naval battles of World War I involving the United States Atlantic operations of World War I Conflicts in 1917 November 1917 events

Action

See also

References

Bibliography

External links