- MS City of Rayville
-
Career Name: City of Rayville Namesake: either Rayville, Louisiana, or Rayville, Missouri, or both Port of registry: Tampa Builder: Oscar Daniels Company
Tampa, FloridaYard number: 8 Launched: April 1920 Completed: January 1921 Fate: sunk by naval mine, 8 November 1940 General characteristics Type: Design 1027 ship Tonnage: 5,910 GRT Length: 122.5 m (401 ft 11 in) Beam: 16.5 m (54 ft 2 in) Propulsion: 1 × triple-expansion steam engine (as built)
1 × 6-cylinder Busch-Sulzer diesel engine (by 1930)Speed: 11 knots (20 km/h) Crew: 38 The SS City of Rayville, also referred to as the MV and/or MS City of Rayville was a 5883-ton American steamship. She was built in 1920 by Oscar Daniels & Co. of Tampa, Florida.[1]
Sinking
The SS City of Rayville was the first American vessel sunk during World War II, and was sunk by a German mine just off Cape Otway, Australia. This field of approximately 100 mines had already claimed the British steamer SS Cambridge, less than 24 hours previously off Wilsons Promontory.
On 8 November 1940, City of Rayville sailed into the Bass Strait and at 7:47 pm, she hit a mine. The explosion was powerful enough to rip out the foremast, as shrapnel (including ingots of lead, the vessel's cargo being 1,500 tons—37,520 bars—of Port Pirie lead[2]) rained down on the ship's decks. The 38 crew members were able to safely abandon the vessel in lifeboats, although one mariner (James Bryan of Norfolk, Virginia)[1] re-entered the vessel to find his personal items and subsequently drowned. The vessel sank, bow first, in 35 minutes. [3]
The lightkeeper stationed at Cape Otway Lightstation witnessed the sinking, and three boats from Apollo Bay went in search of survivors. The ship's lifeboats were found, and successfully towed back to Apollo Bay, arriving at dawn, 9 November 1940.
This preceded the attack on Pearl Harbor, in December 1941, by more than a year, and resulted in the death of the first US seaman in World War II.
Wreck
The site of the wreck is approximately 14 kilometers (7.6 nmi) south of Cape Otway, with the vessel at a depth of 70 meters (230 ft). The wreck's general location had been known since 2002, but it was finally pinpointed using advanced sonar equipment.
References
Coordinates: 38°51′S 143°39′E / 38.85°S 143.65°E
Design 1027 shipsCategories:
- Design 1027 ships
- Ships built in Florida
- 1920 ships
- Maritime incidents in 1940
- Shipwrecks of Victoria (Australia)
- World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean
- Ships sunk by mines
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
SS City of Rayville — The SS City of Rayville, also referred to as the MV and/or MS City of Rayville was a 5883 ton American Steamship. She was built in 1920 by Oscar Daniels Co. of Tampa Bay, Florida. [ [http://www.lighthousedepot.com/digest/Storypage.cfm?storykey=870… … Wikipedia
Rayville, Louisiana — Geobox Town name = Town of Rayville native name = other name = other name1 = category = Town image size = image caption = flag size = symbol = symbol size = symbol type = nickname = motto = country = United States state = Louisiana region =… … Wikipedia
Rayville, Missouri — Infobox Settlement official name = Rayville, Missouri settlement type = Village nickname = motto = imagesize = image caption = image imagesize = image caption = image mapsize = 250x200px map caption = Location of Rayville, Missouri mapsize1 = map … Wikipedia
Rayville — Original name in latin Rayville Name in other language State code US Continent/City America/Chicago longitude 32.47736 latitude 91.75485 altitude 26 Population 3695 Date 2011 05 14 … Cities with a population over 1000 database
Richland Parish, Louisiana — Infobox U.S. County county = Richland Parish state = Louisiana founded year = 1868 founded date = September 29 seat wl = Rayville largest city wl = Rayville area total sq mi = 565 area total km2 = 1462 area land sq mi = 558 area land km2 = 1446… … Wikipedia
Kap Otway — Cape Otway Staat: Australien Bundesstaat … Deutsch Wikipedia
Charles "Bubba" Chaney — Charles R. Bubba Chaney Louisiana State Representative from District 19 (all or parts of East Carroll, Madison, Morehouse, Ouachita, Richland, and West Carroll parishes in northeastern Louisiana) Incumbent Assumed office 2008 Preceded by Francis… … Wikipedia
Cape Otway — Leuchtturm am Cape Otway Staat … Deutsch Wikipedia
Edgar Jones (American football) — Infobox NFLactive name=Edgar Jones currentteam=Baltimore Ravens currentnumber=84 currentposition=Tight end birthdate=birth date and age|1984|12|1 birthplace=Rayville, Louisiana heightft=6 heightin=3 weight=263 debutyear=2007 debutteam=Baltimore… … Wikipedia
Cape Otway — Infobox lighthouse|name=Cape Otway Lightstation location=Victoria, Australia caption= coordinates = yearlit=1848 yeardeactivated=1994 automated= intensity=White 1,000,000 cd; Red 4,000 cd elevation=52 m range=convert|26|nmi|km|0 foundation=… … Wikipedia