SS Robin Moor
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SS ''Robin Moor'' was a
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cargo Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including trans ...
steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...
that was built in 1919 and sunk by a
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 role ...
in May 1941, several months before the US entered
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. The U-boat allowed the passengers and crew to launch her lifeboats and abandon ship with no loss of life. However, the sinking of a neutral ship in an area considered until then to be relatively safe from U-boats, and the plight of her crew and passengers, caused a political incident in the United States. The attack caused many to question the motives of ''U-69''s commander,
Jost Metzler Jost Metzler (26 February 1909 – 29 September 1975) was a German submarine commander during World War II. He commanded the U-boats and , and was recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Career Metzler joined the ''Kri ...
as Hitler himself, preparing for his June 1941 invasion of Russia, had expressly ordered his Navy chief, Admiral
Erich Raeder Erich Johann Albert Raeder (24 April 1876 – 6 November 1960) was a German admiral who played a major role in the naval history of World War II. Raeder attained the highest possible naval rank, that of grand admiral, in 1939, becoming the fir ...
: "...in the next weeks all attacks on naval vessels in the closed area should cease..." Hitler did not wish to provoke America into joining with Britain in its fight against Germany.


Building, names, and details

The ship was a Design 1022
Hog Islander Hog Islanders is the slang for ships built to Emergency Fleet Corporation designs number 1022 and 1024. These vessels were cargo and troop transport ships, respectively, built under government direction and subsidy to address a shortage of ships ...
, built by the American International Shipbuilding Corporation at its emergency shipbuilding yard at Hog Island, just outside
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. She was yard number 536, laid down for the
US Government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a feder ...
as ''Shetucket'', but completed in October 1919 for the
United States Shipping Board The United States Shipping Board (USSB) was established as an emergency agency by the 1916 Shipping Act (39 Stat. 729), on September 7, 1916. The United States Shipping Board's task was to increase the number of US ships supporting the World War ...
as ''Nobles''. In 1928
American Export Lines American Export-Isbrandtsen Lines, New York, was the leading US-flag shipping company between the U.S. east coast and the Mediterranean from 1919 to 1977, offering both cargo ship and passenger ship services, until it declared bankruptcy and was ...
bought her and renamed her ''Exmoor''. In 1940 the Seas Shipping Co. Inc., of New York, bought her and renamed her ''Robin Moor''. The ship had a registered length of ,
beam Beam may refer to: Streams of particles or energy *Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy **Laser beam *Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles **Charged particle beam, a spatially localized grou ...
of and depth of , and her
tonnage Tonnage is a measure of the cargo-carrying capacity of a ship, and is commonly used to assess fees on commercial shipping. The term derives from the taxation paid on ''tuns'' or casks of wine. In modern maritime usage, "tonnage" specifically ref ...
s were and . She had a single
propeller A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...
, driven by a
steam turbine A steam turbine is a machine that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam and uses it to do mechanical work on a rotating output shaft. Its modern manifestation was invented by Charles Parsons in 1884. Fabrication of a modern steam turbin ...
via double reduction gearing. Her turbine was rated at 600
NHP Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are the ...
and gave her a speed of . Her US
official number Official numbers are ship identifier numbers assigned to merchant ships by their flag state, country of registration. Each country developed its own official numbering system, some on a national and some on a port-by-port basis, and the formats hav ...
was 218960. Until 1933 her
code letters Code letters or ship's call sign (or callsign) Mtide Taurus - IMO 7626853"> SHIPSPOTTING.COM >> Mtide Taurus - IMO 7626853/ref> were a method of identifying ships before the introduction of modern navigation aids and today also. Later, with the i ...
were LTBR, and from 1934 her
wireless telegraph Wireless telegraphy or radiotelegraphy is transmission of text messages by radio waves, analogous to electrical telegraphy using cables. Before about 1910, the term ''wireless telegraphy'' was also used for other experimental technologies for ...
call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigne ...
was KJJU.


Sinking

In May 1941 ''Robin Moor'', crewed by nine officers and 29 men, was sailing unescorted with eight passengers and a commercial cargo from New York to
Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
via
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
. Her cargo included "items of every conceivable description that would go into a general cargo", including over 450 autos and trucks, steel rails, tools, agricultural chemicals, over of lubricant in drums, cases of shotgun shells, and a few .22 caliber rifles destined for sporting goods stores. At 0525 hrs on 21 May, stopped ''Robin Moor'' in the tropical Atlantic 750 miles west of
Freetown Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and p ...
,
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...
. Although ''Robin Moor'' was registered in a neutral country, the U-boat crew told her Chief mate, First Officer they had decided to "let us have it." After a brief period for the ship's crew and passengers to board and launch her four lifeboats, ''U-69'' fired a torpedo that hit ''Robin Moor'' amidships. She began to sink only slowly, so 40 minutes later ''U-69'' surfaced and fired 39 rounds from her 88mm deck gun. After another 17 minutes ''Robin Moor'' sank. Wooden crates containing some of her deck cargo floated free, so ''U-69'' fired on them with her 20mm anti-aircraft guns. After the ship sank, ''U-69''s crew pulled up to
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Edward Myers' lifeboat, and gave him four tins of pressed
black bread Rye bread is a type of bread made with various proportions of flour from rye grain. It can be light or dark in color, depending on the type of flour used and the addition of coloring agents, and is typically denser than bread made from whea ...
, two tins of butter, some
Cognac Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the Communes of France, commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the Departments of France, departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cog ...
, and bandages, and claimed that had sunk ''Robin Moor'' because she was carrying supplies to Germany's enemy. The lifeboat passengers found the black bread "too tough to eat".


Rescue

When ''Robin Moor'' was stopped, ''U-69'' forbade her crew to touch their wireless, but after the sinking, ''U-69''s captain,
Jost Metzler Jost Metzler (26 February 1909 – 29 September 1975) was a German submarine commander during World War II. He commanded the U-boats and , and was recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Career Metzler joined the ''Kri ...
, reportedly promised the survivors he would radio their position. The captain kept the lifeboats near ''Robin Moor''s position for 24 hours, then navigated towards St Paul's Rocks or the Brazilian coast with all four lifeboats bound together. The captain separated the lifeboats on 26 May as his plan was not working. After 18 days the Brazilian merchant ship '' Osório'' rescued the lifeboat containing the captain and 10 others on 8 June. The news was relayed by radio from ''Osório'' to the Brazilian ship ''Lages'', then the US merchant ship ''Deer Lodge'', then
RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...
and finally
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
''Osório'' then went to
Pernambuco Pernambuco () is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.6 million people as of 2020, making it seventh-most populous state of Brazil and with around 98,148 km², being the 19 ...
where Brazil allowed the US ambassador to interview the rescued survivors first. On 14 June, the
US Maritime Commission The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...
asked ships in the area of ''Robin Moor''s sinking to look out for survivors, though ''The New York Times'' stated "Little or no hope is held out" for the remainder of the survivors. On 13 June, two
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
residents independently stated they heard
short-wave Shortwave radio is radio transmission using shortwave (SW) radio frequencies. There is no official definition of the band, but the range always includes all of the high frequency band (HF), which extends from 3 to 30 MHz (100 to 10 me ...
broadcasts from Italy that a submarine had docked at an Italian port carrying eight survivors from ''Robin Moor''. This proved to be unfounded. The occupants of the rescued lifeboat presumed that the remaining crew and passengers were lost, but the British
Ellerman Lines Ellerman Lines was a United Kingdom, UK cargo and passenger shipping company that operated from the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century. It was founded in the late 19th century, and continued to expand by acquiring smaller sh ...
cargo ship ''City of Wellington'' found them on 2 June. She was sailing under
radio silence In telecommunications, radio silence or Emissions Control (EMCON) is a status in which all fixed or mobile radio stations in an area are asked to stop transmitting for safety or security reasons. The term "radio station" may include anything cap ...
, but was able to receive the news that the captain's party was rescued and those aboard ''City of Wellington'' were presumed dead. On 18 June ''City of Wellington'' landed survivors at
Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
in South Africa, and their rescue immediately became news. All of the crew and passengers were rescued. The contingent that had been landed in Brazil returned to the US aboard ''Delargentino''.


Aftermath

Isolationist
United States Senator The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...
Gerald Nye Gerald Prentice Nye (December 19, 1892 – July 17, 1971) was an American politician who represented North Dakota in the United States Senate from 1925 to 1945. He was a Republican and supporter of World War II-era isolationism, chairing the Ny ...
, blaming Britain for sinking ''Robin Moor'', said he would be "very much surprised if a German submarine had done it because it would be to their disadvantage" to torpedo the ship. On 11 June, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', reporting several different rumors pointing to German blame, also said there may have been Italian submarines in the area, and quoted a German source that said the reports were "confusing, unclear, and contradictory." Nye withdrew his comment on 14 June 1941, stating "The evidence that the ''Robin Moor'' was sunk by a German submarine is too complete to permit my declaration of yesterday noon, to the effect that the boat might have been sunk by Britain, to stand", through the
America First Committee The America First Committee (AFC) was the foremost United States isolationist pressure group against American entry into World War II. Launched in September 1940, it surpassed 800,000 members in 450 chapters at its peak. The AFC principally supp ...
. President
Roosevelt Roosevelt may refer to: *Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), 26th U.S. president *Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945), 32nd U.S. president Businesses and organisations * Roosevelt Hotel (disambiguation) * Roosevelt & Son, a merchant bank * Roosevel ...
later stated in a message to Congress regarding the sinking that the survivors were "accidentally discovered and rescued by friendly vessels. This chance rescue does not lessen the brutality of casting the boats adrift in mid-ocean."John T. Woolley and Gerhard Peters, The American Presidency Project Senator
Theodore F. Green Theodore Francis Green (October 2, 1867May 19, 1966) was an American politician from Rhode Island. A Democrat, Green served as the 57th Governor of Rhode Island (1933–1937) and in the United States Senate (1937–1961). He was a wealthy aris ...
(D-RI) stated "I don't think the sinking will have any more effect than the sinking of ''The Panay'' by Japan. An act of war is bilateral, not unilateral." Also speaking about the Panay incident, Representative Melvin J. Maas (R-MN) said "Japan... not only failed to rescue survivors but machine-gunned them afterward and we didn't go to war." Senator
Pat McCarran Patrick Anthony McCarran (August 8, 1876 – September 28, 1954) was an American farmer, attorney, judge, and Democratic politician who represented Nevada in the United States Senate from 1933 until 1954. McCarran was born in Reno, Nevada, atte ...
said "It is nothing to get excited about". Senator
Ralph O. Brewster Ralph Owen Brewster (February 22, 1888 – December 25, 1961) was an American politician from Maine. Brewster, a Republican, served as the 54th Governor of Maine from 1925 to 1929, in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1935 to 1941 and in t ...
said "The effect of the sinking depends on the attitude of Germany whether it is a determined policy or an accident". U.S. Representative
John William McCormack John William McCormack (December 21, 1891 – November 22, 1980) was an American politician from Boston, Massachusetts. An attorney and a Democrat, McCormack served in the United States Army during World War I, and afterwards won terms in both th ...
said "It was very unfortunate but there is no reason now to get unnecessarily excited over this incident". Representative
Andrew J. May Andrew Jackson May (June 24, 1875 – September 6, 1959) was a Kentucky attorney, an influential New Deal-era politician, and chairman of the House Military Affairs Committee during World War II, infamous for his rash disclosure of classified nav ...
, chairman of the House Military Affairs Committee, said "We ought to convoy with battleships and let the shooting start and see who shoots first and who can outshoot". While Roosevelt responded to the sinking with strong words, the strength of his administration's actions was disputed. His message to Congress described Germany's decision to sink the ship as "a disclosure of policy as well as an example of method." His message concluded: German assets were frozen on 12 June, then on 14 June the
State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...
required Germany and Italy to close all of their consulates in the United States except for their embassies, prompting Germany to issue the same directive to the United States in return. The US also demanded damages and reparations from Germany, without success. In Congress, isolationist Senator
Burton K. Wheeler Burton Kendall Wheeler (February 27, 1882January 6, 1975) was an attorney and an American politician of the Democratic Party in Montana, which he represented as a United States senator from 1923 until 1947. Born in Massachusetts, Wheeler began ...
(D-MT) claimed that 70% of the ship's cargo constituted the kind of materials meeting both German and British standards for contraband, defended the legality of Germany's right to destroy her, and characterised Roosevelt's message as an effort to bring the United States into the war. Others, such as Senator
Claude Pepper Claude Denson Pepper (September 8, 1900 – May 30, 1989) was an American politician of the Democratic Party, and a spokesman for left-liberalism and the elderly. He represented Florida in the United States Senate from 1936 to 1951, and the Mia ...
, urged their colleagues to require the arming of merchant vessels. In October 1941, federal prosecutors in the espionage case against a group of 33 defendants known as the "
Duquesne Spy Ring The Duquesne Spy Ring is the largest espionage case in the United States history that ended in convictions. A total of 33 members of a Nazi German espionage network headed by Frederick "Fritz" Joubert Duquesne were convicted after a lengthy inve ...
" adduced testimony that Leo Waalen, one of the 14 accused men who had pled not guilty, had submitted the sailing date of the ''Robin Moor'' for radio transmission to Germany, five days before the ship began her final voyage. Waalen and the others were found guilty on 13 December 1941.


In literature

John J. Banigan, Third Officer of ''Robin Moor'', went on to write ''How to Abandon Ship'' (), which details his experience and serves as a survival guide for sailors serving in a wartime environment.


References


Further reading

* Associated Press, ''Alleged Spy Accused of Tip on Robin Moor'', Salamanca Republican Press, 1941-10-18, at 10, available at NewspaperArchive.com. * Stewart Atkins
"Robin Moor Survivor, on Visit in County, tells a Vivid Story of Incident"
'' Gastonia Daily Gazette'', 1 August 1941, at page a-1 * George Haber, ''Outrageous and Indefensible: The Sinking of the SS Robin Moor, 1941'' Kings Point, NY: American Merchant Marine Museum, 2016; . * Amanda Schaffer
"Lost At Sea On The Brink Of The Second World War"
''The New Yorker''; accessed 12 December 2016. * United Press, "Reparations held unlikely", ''Oakland Tribune'', 22 June 1941 at page 1, available at NewspaperArchive.com. * United Press, "Roosevelt Supporters Urge Arming of US Merchant Vessels", ''Oakland Tribune'', 22 June 1941 at page 4. {{DEFAULTSORT:Robin Moor Design 1022 ships Hog Islanders 1919 ships World War II merchant ships of the United States Maritime incidents in May 1941 International maritime incidents Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean Ships of American Export-Isbrandtsen Lines Ships sunk with no fatalities