Oct 31, 1941 - First US Ship Lost in WWII – USS Reuben James

Although most Americans can tell you about the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941 against the US Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor, very few know much about the first US Navy ship lost to combat action in World War II over one month prior to the ‘day that will live in infamy’.

USS REUBEN JAMES (DD-245), originally commissioned in 1920, was recommissioned in 1932 during the buildup between the World Wars.  In 1939, she was assigned to the US Atlantic Fleet to patrol the east coast, and in 1941 she joined other US Navy ships between the US coast and Iceland escorting convoys of merchant ships carrying wartime cargo to the British Isles.  The ship’s namesake was a Boatswain’s Mate who served in the US Navy during the First Barbary War in the early 1800’s.  James is attributed with saving the life of LT Stephen Decatur during hand to hand combat aboard a Tripolitan gunboat in 1804.

REUBEN JAMES was commanded by LCDR H.L. “Tex” Edwards, and was part of a five-ship escort of 44 merchant ships in convoy.  

At about 0525 on 31 October 1941, REUBEN JAMES was torpedoed by German submarine U-562. Her magazine exploded, and she sank quickly. Forty-four of the crew survived, and 115 died [including all officers]. REUBEN JAMES was the first U.S. Navy ship sunk by hostile action in World War II.

The sinking of the REUBEN JAMES received very little press in the United States, but it obviously raised concern among the families of Sailors in the crew.  Their pleas for information about their loved ones were later made part of a song by American folk singer Woody Guthrie in “The Sinking of the Reuben James.”

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.

Tell me what were their names, tell me what were their names,
Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James?
What were their names, tell me, what were their names?
Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James

Two more ships would later carry the proud name of REUBEN JAMES, a Buckley-class destroyer escort (DE-153) and an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate (FFG-57).  Here’s to the memory of her namesake, a fighting Sailor, and “the hard fighting men” of “the good Reuben James.

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/a_people_at_war/prelude_to_war/uss_reub...

http://www.navalhistory.org/2011/10/31/first-u-s-ship-lost-in-wwii-31-oc...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Reuben_James_%28DD-245%29

http://www.woodyguthrie.org/Lyrics/Sinking_Of_The_Reuben_James.htm