USS ''Edward Rutledge'' (AP-52/APA-24) was an ''Edward Rutledge''-class troop transport (AP), later re-designated as an

attack transport Attack transport is a United States Navy ship classification for a variant of ocean-going troopship adapted to transporting invasion forces ashore. Unlike standard troopships – often drafted from the merchant fleet – that rely on ...

(APA). She was acquired by the

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 ...

for use in

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 opposing ...

, and was assigned the task of transporting troops to and from battle areas. Operating in dangerous

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

waters on 12 November 1942, she was sunk after being struck by 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 ...

submarine’s

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, s ...

at Fedala Bay,

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

Construction history

''Edward Rutledge'' (AP-52) was built in 1931 by

New York Shipbuilding The New York Shipbuilding Corporation (or New York Ship for short) was an American shipbuilding company that operated from 1899 to 1968, ultimately completing more than 500 vessels for the U.S. Navy, the United States Merchant Marine, the United ...

Corp., Camden, New Jersey, for the American Export Lines as the SS ''Exeter''; transferred to the Navy from the

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 ...

7 January 1942; converted by

Tampa Shipbuilding Tampa Shipbuilding Company, or TASCO, was one of a number of shipyards in Tampa, Florida. It operated from 1917 to after World War II, closing in 1947. History Origins Originally Tampa Shipbuilding & Engineering Company, founded in 1917, the y ...

Co.,

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

; and commissioned 18 April 1942.

North Africa operations

''Edward Rutledge'' sailed from

, in convoy 13 May 1942 to Norfolk, Virginia. She operated in

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / ...

training soldiers for the invasion of

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

. Departing Hampton Roads 24 October, she landed troops at

Fedhala Mohammedia ( ar, المحمدية, al-muḥammadiyya; ber, ⴼⴹⴰⵍⴰ, Fḍala), known until 1960 as Fedala, is a port city on the west coast of Morocco between Casablanca and Rabat in the region of Casablanca-Settat. It hosts the most i ...

, French Morocco, on 8 November, and lay off the beach unloading her cargo with two lifeboats, the only boats remaining after the

Naval Battle of Casablanca The Naval Battle of Casablanca was a series of naval engagements fought between American ships covering the invasion of North Africa and Vichy French ships defending the neutrality of French Morocco in accordance with the Second Armistice at C ...

Sinking

On 12 November she was torpedoed by ''U-130'' commanded by

Ernst Kals Ernst Kals (2 August 1905 – 2 November 1979) was a '' Kapitän zur See'' with the ''Kriegsmarine'' during World War II. He commanded the Type IXC U-boat on five patrols. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Career Kals joined ...

who slipped past the escort screen to sink three transports. ''Edward Rutledge''s crew attempted to beach her but all power had been lost; she settled rapidly by the stern and sank with the loss of 15 men.

Military honors and awards

''Edward Rutledge'' received one

battle star A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or ser ...

for

service: North African occupation (

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

landings, 8 November to 11 November 1942).

References

External links

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - AP-52 Edward Rutledge
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edward Rutledge (AP-52) Ships built by New York Shipbuilding Corporation 1931 ships Passenger ships of the United States World War II passenger ships of the United States World War II auxiliary ships of the United States Transports of the United States Navy Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II World War II shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea Maritime incidents in November 1942