While escorting convoy HX-156, the American destroyer U.S.S. (Luckily, Boyd survived). The Royal Canadian Navy escorted the convoys to a point off Newfoundland. While on leave, boatswain’s mate Frederick Post had a drink with a friend and predicted it would be the last drink they would ever have together. Reuben James (FFG-57), an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate There are two songs with the title Reuben James: 1. “The water was so cold it would kill you in no time. "shooting war.". There have been countless thousands of published works devoted to all or of it. At daybreak, she was about 600 miles west of Ireland and “blacked out to avoid reflection in the inquisitive monocles of U-boat periscopes,” as Newsweek put it. Sadly, most of the country ignored the sinking. To her crew, she was affectionately known as “Ol’ Rube.”. some American sailors, World War II began before December 7, 1941. On September 4, 1941, a German U- boat attacked the destroyer USS Greer (DD-145) as she steamed alone toward Iceland. Chorus: "What were their names, tell me what were their names/Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James?" She was 314 feet long, 30 feet in the beam, and capable of speeds of up to 33 knots. AUTHOR: Words: Woody Guthrie & Pete Seeger w. the Almanac Singers EARLIEST DATE: November, 1941 While news of the sinking arrived quickly, word on the fate of the crew took several days longer. Nearby ships rushed in to save the survivors. The pretext was that the Navy was helping to supply American troops stationed in Iceland. The USS Reuben James was a battleship that was torpedoed by a German submarine on Halloween of 1941, becoming the first US ship sunk in World War II. On February 16, 1804, James, a boatswain’s mate, stood on the deck of the USS Philadelphia in Tripoli as Barbary pirates struck. Of course, the Soviet Sailors who stood on her Foc'sle were'nt really Soviets, they were Reuben James crewmembers. On November 2, Almeda Edwards, wife of Lt. Cmdr. When the destroyer USS Reuben James (DD-245) was assigned to convoy duty in the North Atlantic in the autumn of 1941, its crew had a sense of foreboding and feared the worst. It is accompanied by Woody Guthrie's song written shortly after the sinking of the USS Reuben James DD … There are moments in military history that forever alter the flow of human events. The U.S. Navy picked the convoys up there, escorted them out into the Atlantic, and handed them over to the British Royal Navy at a mid-ocean meeting point. They listened to the radio, read the newspapers, and knew the score. Word of the Reuben James sinking quickly reached the United States, but details were few. In the annals of military history magazines, this is one of those moments. Merchant ships of other nations, such as Great Britain, were free to tag along, and these “hitchhikers” got U.S. Navy protection. Heywood L. “Tex” Edwards, a 1926 Naval Academy graduate and a member of the 1928 U.S. Olympic wrestling team. The aft part of the ship remained afloat for about five minutes. Sadly, most of the country ignored the sinking. Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James. Tell me what were their names. - Johnny Horton Makes History - on COLUMBIA Records in 1960. Tell me, what were their names? On October 23, 1941, U.S. Navy destroyer USS Reuben James left Newfoundland to escort a convoy bound for Britain. They had no choice. Have you heard of the ship, called the good Reuben James Run by hard fighting men, both of honor and fame She flew the stars and stripes for USS Reuben James (DD-245)—- a post-World War I, four-funnel Clemson-class destroyer—- was the first United States Navy ship named for Boatswain's Mate Reuben James (c. 1776 –1838), who distinguished himself fighting in the First Barbary War, and the first sunk by hostile action in the European theater of World War II. There have been countless thousands of published works devoted to all or of it. #1. of friends or loved ones. We also have a detailed page on the American destroyer USS Reuben James (DD 245).. One who did not was folk singer Woody Guthrie, who wrote his now famous On the Reuben James, torpedoman Robert Howard recalled, “All you had was a pair of binoculars and a rubber ear to press against the skin of the ship to listen for [submarine] screw noises.”. A New York Times editorial said that the sinking “brushes away the last possible doubt that the United States and Germany are now at open war in the Atlantic.” “Worse than piracy,” proclaimed Navy Secretary Frank Knox, and Senator Alben Barkley of Kentucky accused the Germans of trying “to drive us off the seas, and I don’t believe the American people are ready to be driven off.” Senator George Aiken of Vermont, however, said that Roosevelt was “personally responsible for whatever lives may have been lost” because he had ordered convoy duty. U-boats had already torpedoed several merchant ships in this convoy and a burning ship had silhouetted the Kearny, making her an easy target. Among the sailors lost were Alton Cousins, who never reclaimed his gold watch, Frederick Post, who never had another drink with his friend, and Walter Sorensen, who never got his wished-for last visit home. Although the United States was still offi- cially neutral, Congress had enacted the Lend-Lease Act in March 1941 to help Great Britain survive. G C G Then a whine and a rock and a great explosion roared G D G And they laid the Reuben James … 1 . "Sinking Of The Reuben James" What were their names, tell me what were their names Did you have a friend on the Good Reuben James Have you heard of a ship called that good Reuben James Stand by hard fighting men both of honor and fame She flew the stars and stripes of the land of the free It also includes photos of DE-153 and Guided Missile Frigate Reuben James FFG-57. Reuben James DESCRIPTION: Describes the sinking of the destroyer "Reuben James" by submarines off the coast of Iceland, the loss of 100 men [and the rescue of 44]. “I know I got picked up pretty quick,” said William Bergstresser, a chief machinist’s mate. The Reuben James carried only two lifeboats and they were now useless. As for a declaration of war, the New York Times noted, “The people, their Representatives in Congress and even many high officials of the government are deeply divided on the subject.” Rather than spark enlistments, Navy enlistments declined 15 percent in November 1941, something officials attributed to the loss of life on the Reuben James. Although not the first U.S. Navy ship torpedoed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill cabled Roosevelt that he “grieved at the loss of life you have suffered with Reuben James.” In her daily newspaper column, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt wrote that she could not “help but think of every one of the 120 men and their families, who are anxiously awaiting news.” The Russian newspaper Pravda praised the United States for having “taken its fighting post,” and the London Daily Mail predicted that the United States was “marching down the last mile to a declaration of war.”. Young men in Logan County, West Virginia, home of lost sailor George Woody, sought revenge. She flew the Stars and Stripes of the land of the free But tonight she's in her grave at the bottom of the sea. Writing ‘The Sinking of the Reuben James’ “When the U.S.S. As the survivors struggled to stay afloat, unsecured depth charges from the Reuben James hit the water as the ship sank. "The Sinking of the Reuben James" is a song by Woody Guthrie about the sinking of the U. S. convoy escort USS Reuben James, which was the first U. S. naval ship sunk by German U-boats in World War II. He said he was “itching to get a crack at” the German Navy. Edwards, wrote to her husband, “It has been two days and still no one has told me that you are coming back to me. The USS Reuben James DD-245 was sunk by a German U-Boat five full weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Sinking Of The Reuben James Words and Music by Woody Guthrie. Acting with “cold precision,” the ships and their crews rescued the few survivors. She was 314 feet long, 30 feet in the beam, and capable of speeds of up to 33 knots. This song is about the Reuben James, an American destroyer that was sunk by a German U-Boat in October 1941, two months before the US joined the war. “You can’t expect to walk into a barroom brawl and hope to stay out of the fight,” he said. including all officers. The sinking of the Reuben James contributed to the American war sentiment, and the U.S. and Germany went to war six weeks later. A torpedo fired by U-552 hit her on the port side, ignited her forward magazine, and blew her in half. John Ryan, 43, joined the Navy after his son, John Jr., died on the Reuben James. Kingston Trio - Sinking of the Reuben James Lyrics. Reuben James (DD-245), a four-stack Clemson-class destroyer 2. bound for Great Britain carrying war materials from our "Arsenal of Democracy." Roosevelt did not break off diplomatic relations with Germany, and he stayed away from the bellicose rhetoric he had used after the Greer and Kearny attacks. During D C G Did you have a friend on that good Reuben James Verse 3 G G D G It was there in the dark of that uncertain night G D G That we watched for the U-boats and waited for the fight. 6731 Whittier Avenue, Suite C-100 McLean, VA 22101, From Tolkien to Hitler: Famous Soldiers of World War I, The Battle for Omaha Beach: The Men of the D-Day Invasion, Napoleon Bonaparte’s Last Campaign: The Battle of Waterloo, Operation Barbarossa: World War II’s Eastern Front, The Battle of Gettysburg: Turning Point of the American Civil War, What Made the German Luger the Most Famous Pistol in Modern Warfare, The Essential Role of Navy PBR Boats in the Vietnam War, The Real Story of General George Patton, Jr’s Death & Final Days, Colonel William O. Darby and the U.S. Army Rangers, Operation Frantic On Eastern Front: Preview Of the Cold War. Reuben James was torpedoed by the Nazis off the coast of Iceland in late October [1941], killing 86 and wounding 44, Woody was inspired to write a ballad about the incident. A D Did you have a friend on the Good Reuben James? “Choking on oil and water, they are like small animals caught in molasses,” artist Coale wrote. Gone in an instant,” recalled electrician’s mate Thomas Turnbull. The Navy performed these duties while the United States maintained its official neutrality. It is considered the first American naval casualty of WWII. Germany defended the attack. In response, Roosevelt ordered the Navy to shoot on sight any Axis warship found in waters “the protection of which is necessary for American defense.” The North Atlantic came within the scope of this order. Disaster struck in the early morning hours of October 31, World events soon pushed the Reuben James to the side. Terrified sailors heard the depth charges arm themselves, and then the charges exploded, hurling debris and men into the air. Times when the very landscape appears to shift. It seemed like a long time.”. As a result, several of us local boys enlisted in the Navy,” said Farris Burton, one of those who joined up. U-boat U-552 fired a torpedo at the ammunition ship, and inadvertently hit the Reuben James, sinking the US ship with the loss of 100 of the 144 men aboard the ship. The Reuben James’ last day was October 31, 1941. On October 23, 1941, the Reuben James left Argentia, Newfoundland, to escort convoy HX-156. The ship named for James, the USS Reuben James, was a four-stack destroyer, commissioned in 1920. The act permitted President Franklin D. Roosevelt to sell, lend, or lease munitions, aircraft, weapons, and military supplies to “the government of any country whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States.” Great Britain was one of those countries. In connection with the list of the survivors and the list of those lost on the Reuben James, which was recently forwarded, all survivors of the Reuben James disaster have reported to this Receiving Ship with the exception of THOMPSON, James C., Sea.2c., USN, 300-43-32, and TURNBULL, Thomas P., E.M.2c., USN, 223-53-96, both of whom were seriously injured. For When chief machinist’s mate Alton Cousins visited his family that fall, he left his gold watch behind. The Reuben James appeared in The Hunt For Red October, and the Reuben James was the first ship to find Soviet Submarine Captain Marko Raimius and his crew of defectors. Because German U-boats (submarines) considered all ships in the convoys Now the USS Reuben James became the first United States warship to be sunk as a result of hostile action in World War II. “Midships was now the bow” is how fireman Norman Hingula described it. Like many others, she received the dreaded news through a telegram from “C.W. The presence of the escort destroyers may have saved the crew of the Reuben James from even greater casualties. Corbin Dyson and Charles Harris. The Kearny, a modern ship commissioned in 1940, survived the attack and reached port, but 11 sailors were killed and 22 more were injured. I know you will though….” Before she could mail her letter, however, she learned that her husband would not return. She was armed with four 4-inch guns in her main battery, torpedo tubes, depth charges, and numerous antiaircraft weapons. Some did rally to the flag, however. the latter part of 1941, U.S. Navy ships provided escorts for convoys I love that song! The Sinking Of The Reuben James:Johnny Horton. This subterfuge was necessary because of isolationist sentiment in Congress, but it fooled few, least of all the German Navy. As dawn broke on the 31st she was torpedoed by U-552 commanded by Erich Topp, who was to become the third most successful U Boat captain of the war. This is a listing of people associated with this ship. “With a terrific roar a column of orange flame towers high into the night as her magazines go up,” recalled Griffith Baily Coale, a naval artist sailing with the convoy. XHTML: You can use these tags:

. Roosevelt’s logic was simple: “If you see a rattlesnake poised to strike, you do not wait until he has struck before you crush him.”. Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James?”. Survivors on the Reuben James saw the instantaneous damage. “Hitler’s torpedo,” Roosevelt said, “was directed at every American,” but America did not go to war over this act of war. After Rescuers heard “cursing, praying, and hoarse shouts for help” from sailors struggling to stay alive. to the Navy to find out the fate Have you heard of a ship called the good Reuben James Manned by hard fighting men both of honor and fame? She flew the Stars and Stripes of the land of the free But tonight she's in her grave at the bottom of the sea Found on more albums: This page has photos and a slideshow of the USS Reuben James DD-245 and German U-552 that sunk her. My two Uncles died on board when the ship was sunk. In Portland, Maine, where about half the crew lived, the wives of 40 crew members—“red-eyed and listless, after hours of vigil with little sleep”— awaited news of their husbands. The Sinking of the Reuben James is a folk song written by Woody Guthrie about the ship Reuben James (DD-245) and her sinking while on convoy duty shortly before the U.S. entered World Wa… Her skipper was Lt. Cmdr. After the news of the sinking reached America, many concerned people wrote letters to the Navy to find out the fate of friends or loved ones. On April 2, 1942, the same U-boat—U-552— sank the SS David H. Atwater, an unescorted collier, off the coast of Virginia. When a sword-wielding pirate attacked Lieutenant Stephen Decatur, James is said to have jumped in front of Decatur and taken the blow meant for him. Woody Guthrie had started to write a song including each name on the casualty list of the sinking. As the crew abandoned ship, U-552 raked them with machine-gun fire, killing all but three of the 27 men. Aboard USS Reuben James (DD 245) when hit on 31 Oct 1941 before the war, the Reuben James was the first one lost. Five weeks later, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Congress declared war on Japan, and Germany declared war on the United States. “Some were knocked unconscious. She flew the Stars and Stripes of the land of the free But tonight she's in her grave at the bottom of the sea. Others were torn apart.”. Fast-emerging British singer, songwriter and pianist Reuben James’ virtuoso jazz techniques and soulful, evocative voice have led him to be widely regarded as one the most exciting and creatively assured artists to have emerged in recent years. the news of the sinking reached America, many concerned people wrote letters The Sinking Of The Reuben James Lyrics The Sinking Of The Reuben James is found on the album This Land Is Your Land: The Asch Recordings, Vol. fair game, it was only a matter of time before we became involved in a The target – Reuben James – was decommissioned in 2013 after 27 years of service, which included convoy duty during the Iran-Iraq War and a nine month deployment in 2002 and 2003. The sinking of the Lusitania in 1915 contributed to U.S. war sentiment, and America entered the war in early 1917, almost two years later. Three warships of the Navy have been named Reuben Jamesin his honor: 1. song immediately after the incident: Tell me, what were their names? Convoy duty was hazardous and becoming more so by the day. Nimitz, Chief of Bureau of Navigation.”. The Greer dodged two torpedoes and counterattacked with depth charges. On October 17, 1941, a U-boat torpedoed the USS Kearny (DD-432) as she escorted a 50-ship convoy. Her mission, seaman James Thompson wrote to his parents, was to “see who is raising hell with our ships.”, Only one destroyer in the convoy—the USS Niblack (DD-424)—had radar. “The whole front of the ship lifted up and it was gone. Dezember 1838 in Washington, D.C.) war ein Boatswain's mate[1] der United States Navy, der für eine angebliche oder tatsächliche Heldentat im Amerikanisch-Tripolitanischen Krieg berühmt wurde. One had been demolished by the torpedo; the other could not be lowered into the water because of the steep angle of the sinking ship. For gunner’s mate Walter Sorensen, his main wish was to come home on leave just once more, “even if it is only for a few days.” “Ol’ Rube” was not as rugged or in the same class as modern destroyers like the Kearny, but “in an emergency … these craft must be used as found,” retired Admiral William V. Pratt told Newsweek magazine. The Reuben James was one of five destroyers escorting the convoy’s more than 50 merchant ships, many of which flew the Union Jack. But there’s NEVER been anything like THIS before. “The incident stirred up emotions in our hometown. Reuben James is a name rich in Navy lore. WWII Quarterly, the hardcover journal of the Second World War that is not available in bookstores or on newsstands, and can only be obtained and collected through a personal subscription through the mail. Those who survived the blast jumped into the frigid water. (The Reuben James was the first U.S. naval ship sunk by German U-boats in World War II.) When Neda Boyd, wife of machinist’s mate Solon Boyd, heard the news on the radio, she “froze in the chair.” She felt a sense of doom because, when last home, her husband had told her, “I’m afraid we won’t be back this time.” Their six-year-old daughter heard the name of her dad’s ship on the radio and wept inconsolably. My analysis was of the song “The Sinking of the Reuben James” by Woody Guthrie. Reuben But there’s NEVER been anything like THIS before. Have you heard of a ship called the good Reuben James Manned by hard fighting men both of honor and fame? Forty-three years earlier, the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana harbor had led to an outcry for war, but the sinking of the Reuben James did not spark the same reaction. On October 31, 1941, the USS Reuben James became one of America’s first casualties of war—even before war was declared. Although not the first U.S. Navy ship torpedoed before the war, the Reuben James was the first one lost. Woody Guthrie had started to write a song including each name on the casualty list of the sinking. But it didn’t seem quick. Reuben James (DE-153), a Buckley-class destroyer escort 3. It changed the world more than any other single event in history. Japanese officials were strangely silent. The Reuben James, however, was not forgotten, thanks in large part to folksinger Woody Guthrie’s ballad about the sinking: “Tell me what were their names. She was armed with four 4-inch guns in her main battery, torpedo tubes, depth charges, and numerous antiaircraft weapons. Germany and Great Britain had been at war for two years. The ship named for James, the USS Reuben James, was a four-stack destroyer, commissioned in 1920. The United States was still neutral, at least officially, but neutrality offered little solace—or protection. James was torpedoed and sunk with the loss of 115 of 160 crewmen, Coordinates. 1941. 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