SS Presidente Trujillo

SS Presidente Trujillo was a cargo steamship that was torpedoed by U-156 in the Caribbean Sea off Fort-de-France, Martinique on 21 May 1942 while she was travelling from Fort-de-France to San Juan, Puerto Rico carrying a cargo of beer, machinery and forage.^[1]

History
Name	Gouverneur Jaeschke (1900–1917) Watauga (1917–1920) Guantanamo (1920–1933) Presidente Trujillo (1933–1942)
Owner	1900: Hamburg America Line 1917: US Shipping Board 1920: Empresa Naviera de Cuba 1933: Cia Naviera Dominicana
Port of registry	1900: Hamburg 1917: San Francisco 1920: Havana 1933: Ciudad Trujillo
Builder	Howaldtswerke, Kiel
Yard number	373
Launched	12 October 1900
Completed	December 1900
Identification	1900 code letters LMRC 1917: US official number 215609 1917: code letters LHVF by 1934: call sign HIFS
Fate	sunk by torpedo, 21 May 1942
General characteristics
Type	cargo ship
Tonnage	1,668 GRT, 917 NRT
Length	240.4 ft (73.3 m)
Beam	36.0 ft (11.0 m)
Depth	20.9 ft (6.4 m)
Decks	1
Installed power	1 × triple-expansion engine: 204 NHP
Propulsion	1 × screw
Speed	11 knots (20 km/h)
Crew	39
Armament	1 x 75mm deck gun 3 x AA machine guns

Building

The ship was built by Howaldtswerke in Kiel, Germany as yard number 373. She was launched on 12 October 1900 as Gouvereur Jaeschke, and completed that December. Her registered length was 240.4 ft (73.3 m); her beam was 36.0 ft (11.0 m); and her depth was 20.9 ft (6.4 m). Her tonnages were 1,668 GRT and 917 NRT. She had a single screw, driven by a three-cylinder quadruple-expansion engine that was rated at 204 NHP, and gave her a speed of 11 knots (20 km/h). By 1942, she was defensively armed with a 75 mm deck gun and three AA machine guns.^[1]

Sinking

Presidente Trujillo was steaming unescorted from Fort-de-France to San Juan, carrying a general cargo of beer, machinery and forage, when on 21 May 1942 at 18:29 hrs, she was hit aft by a G7e torpedo from U-156 in the Caribbean Sea off Fort-de-France, at position 14°38′N 61°11′W. She sank in four minutes, killing 24 members of her crew. The 15 survivors were rescued soon after.^[2]