SS Yankee Arrow

SS Yankee Arrow was an Arrow-class oil tanker built in 1921 for the Standard Oil Company of New York (Socony). She struck a mine on August 2, 1943, off the coast of Tunisia, which damaged the tanker and caused a fire. She served as fuel storage off Sicily for several years, before finally being scrapped in 1948.

Yankee Arrow during World War II with an American flag on her side, displayed as a neutrality marking
History
Name	Yankee Arrow
Namesake	Yankee, a nickname for people from the United States
Owner	Socony (1921–1943) War Shipping Board (1943–1948) F. Heuvelmans (1948)
Operator	Standard Transportation Co. (1921–1943) United States Maritime Administration (1943–1948) F. Heuvelmans (1948)
Registry	New York, New York
Ordered	August 1, 1919
Builder	New York Shipbuilding Corporation
Yard number	260
Launched	May 10, 1921
Completed	August 2, 1921
In service	1921–1943 (as an oil tanker) 1943–1945 (as a fuel storage ship)
Identification	Official number: 221457
Fate	Scrapped in Belgium, 1948
General characteristics
Class and type	Arrow-class oil tanker
Tonnage	8,046 GRT 14,800 DWT
Length	468 feet (143 m)
Beam	62.6 feet (19.1 m)
Depth	39.6 feet (12.1 m)
Speed	10.5 knots (12.1 mph; 19.4 km/h)

Construction

Yankee Arrow was ordered on August 1, 1919.^[1] She launched by New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey, on May 10, 1921, as hull number 260.^[2][3] She was completed and delivered on August 2 of the same year. The tanker was assigned the official number 221457.^[3]

Specifications

Yankee Arrow was 468 feet (143 m) long, 62.6 feet (19.1 m) wide, and had a depth of 39.6 feet (12.1 m). She had a gross register tonnage of 8,046^[4] and a deadweight tonnage of 13,400.^[1] The tanker had a top speed of 10.5 knots (12.1 mph; 19.4 km/h), and an internal horsepower of 3,200.^[4]

Service history

Yankee Arrow entered service with the Standard Transportation Company, a subsidiary of Socony, on August 2, 1921.^[3] On September 7, 1933, Yankee Arrow reported a storm with a barometric pressure of 27.65 inches (936 millibars).^{[citation needed]}

World War II

On January 30, 1942, at 11:30 GMT, Yankee Arrow sent an SSS signal and reported that she was being chased by a German U-boat. At 16:30, while at 39°22'N 74-00W and traveling 9 knots, the tanker reported that the U-boat was disappearing 6 miles (9.7 km) astern.^[5]

Mine collision

On August 2, 1943, the tanker was sailing in convoy KMS 20 from Annaba, Algeria, to Bizerte, Tunisia. The convoy began forming a single column to enter the Tunisian port. Sailing off Cape Bon, Yankee Arrow suddenly struck a naval mine off her port bow. The ship was engulfed by a fire that was brought under control about half an hour later. Her crew did not abandon ship, though the initial blast blew several sailors overboard. Yankee Arrow was heavily damaged and deemed unfit for further war service.^[6][7] Two armed guards and five merchant sailors died.^[6]

As a fuel storage ship

The tanker was purchased by the War Shipping Administration and serving as fuel storage off Sicily for several years.^[2][7] She was finally laid up in the port of Marseille, France, in July 1945. In 1948, she was sold to F. Heuvelmans in Antwerp,^[2] Belgium. After arriving on November 1,^[1] Yankee Arrow was scrapped towards the end of the year.^[2]