SS El Occidente

SS "El Occidente" was a cargo ship for the Morgan Line, a subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Company. During World War I, she was known as USAT "El Occidente" in service with the United States Army and as USS "El Occidente" (ID-3307) in service with the United States Navy. At the end of war, she reverted to her original name of SS "El Occidente".

Built in 1910, SS "El Occidente" was one of four sister ships that carried cargo and a limited number of passengers for the Morgan Line. She was acquired by the U.S. Army after the United States entered World War I in April 1917, and converted to carry horses and mules to France. In February 1918, she fought a 20-minute gun battle with two German submarines, destroying the periscope of one. In August 1918, the ship was transferred to the U.S. Navy and continued transporting animals through the end of the war.

"El Occidente" returned to the Morgan Line in 1919 and sailed with them until June 1941, when the entire Morgan Line fleet was purchased by the United States Maritime Commission. While serving as a civilian-crewed cargo ship during World War II, "El Occidente" was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine "U-435" on 13 April 1942.

Early career

SS "El Occidente" was a cargo and passenger steamship launched on 24 September 1910 by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. of Newport News, Virginia (yard no. 133), and delivered to the Atlantic division of the Morgan Line on 2 December 1910. She was the newest of four sister ships; the older three being ] , and escorts consisting of cruiser , and cruiser , , and off shore. "El Occidente", one of 15 ships that responded to "Dixie"'s distress calls, carried two loads of passengers and baggage from "Dixie" to Miami. There was no loss of life during the grounding or the rescue of "Dixie"'s passengers. []

World War II

In June 1941, the United States Maritime Commission (USMC) announced that it had requisitioned the entire Morgan Line fleet of ten ships, including "El Occidente" and her remaining sister ships, "El Oriente" and "El Mundo".The fourth sister, ] and paid $4.7 million for all ten ships and a further $2.6 million for repairs and refits. [cite news | author = Associated Press | title = House group finds U.S. lost in ship deal | work = The Washington Post | date = 9 December 1944 | page = 5 ]

"El Occidente" was handed over to the USMC at Galveston on 7 July and assigned to United States Lines, Inc., for operation. The cargo ship was placed under Panamanian registry by U.S. Lines. Little is known of "El Occidente"'s movements over the six months, but on 30 January 1942, she left Boston for Halifax loaded with a general cargo. Arriving at Halifax on 1 February,Helgason.] she joined Convoy HX 174 and headed for Liverpool on 7 February, arriving at her destination on 21 February. [cite AHCD | convoytype = HX | convoynumber = 174 | accessdate = 2008-08-06 ]

Two days later, "El Occidente" sailed for Reykjavik, where she arrived on 1 March, just in time to depart with Convoy PQ 12 for Murmansk.Also in Convoy PQ 12 was "El Coston", another former Morgan Line ship.] After the convoy arrived at Murmansk on 12 March, [cite AHCD | convoytype = PQ | convoynumber = 12 | accessdate = 2008-08-06 ] "El Occidente" unloaded her cargo and took on a partial ballast load of chromium ore. She departed in Convoy QP 10 on 10 April.cite AHCD | convoytype = QP | convoynumber = 10 | accessdate = 2008-08-06 ] At 01:29 on 13 April, while at position coord|73.2|N|28.3|E|display=inline,title|type:country, German submarine "U-435" fired one or two torpedoes which struck "El Occidente" in the engine room, nearly breaking the vessel in half. "El Occidente" went down stern first within two minutes, with no time to launch lifeboats. Within 30 minutes of her sinking, HMS|Speedwell|J87|6, one of the convoy's escorts, rescued 21 of the ship's 41-man crew; the remaining 20 crewmen died.

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