SS Thomas T. Tucker
Encyclopedia
The SS Thomas T. Tucker (Hull Number 269) was a Liberty ship
, built by The Houston Shipbuilding Corporation for service as a troop & weapons carrier.
Liberty ship
s were named after prominent (deceased) Americans, starting with Patrick Henry and the signers of the Declaration of Independence
. She was named after Thomas Tudor Tucker
, an American physician and politician from Charleston, South Carolina
. He represented South Carolina
in both the Continental Congress
and the U.S. House
. He later served as Treasurer of the United States
.
, on November 27, 1942 during heavy fog
while on her maiden voyage from New Orleans to Suez
.
German U-Boats actively patrolled the South Africa
n coast during World War II
. This resulted in the Thomas T. Tucker sailing close to the coast when the sea was rough. The captain misjudged the ship's location because of the heavy fog, assuming they were close to Robben Island
. Thinking they were not far from Cape Town
, her crew relaxed and later the she ran aground. After an investigation it was discovered that the ship's compass was out by 37°, although no conclusive reason was found for the incident.
Nature Reserve. It is split into three sections with a boiler higher up on the beach.
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
, built by The Houston Shipbuilding Corporation for service as a troop & weapons carrier.
Liberty ship
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
s were named after prominent (deceased) Americans, starting with Patrick Henry and the signers of the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
. She was named after Thomas Tudor Tucker
Thomas Tudor Tucker
Thomas Tudor Tucker was an American physician and politician from Charleston, South Carolina. He represented South Carolina in both the Continental Congress and the U.S. House. He later served as Treasurer of the United States.-Biography:Thomas was born in St...
, an American physician and politician from Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. He represented South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
in both the Continental Congress
Continental Congress
The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates called together from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
and the U.S. House
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. He later served as Treasurer of the United States
Treasurer of the United States
The Treasurer of the United States is an official in the United States Department of the Treasury that was originally charged with the receipt and custody of government funds, though many of these functions have been taken over by different bureaus of the Department of the Treasury...
.
Career
The ship was laid down on June 16, 1942 then launched on August 31, 1942. She ran aground off Oliphantsbos Point, near Cape PointCape Point
Cape Point is a promontory at the southeast corner of the Cape Peninsula, which is a mountainous and scenic landform that runs north-south for about thirty kilometres at the extreme southwestern tip of the African continent in the Republic of South Africa. Table Mountain and the city of Cape Town...
, on November 27, 1942 during heavy fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
while on her maiden voyage from New Orleans to Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
.
German U-Boats actively patrolled the South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n coast during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. This resulted in the Thomas T. Tucker sailing close to the coast when the sea was rough. The captain misjudged the ship's location because of the heavy fog, assuming they were close to Robben Island
Robben Island
Robben Island is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 km west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, Cape Town, South Africa. The name is Dutch for "seal island". Robben Island is roughly oval in shape, 3.3 km long north-south, and 1.9 km wide, with an area of 5.07 km². It is flat and only a...
. Thinking they were not far from Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, her crew relaxed and later the she ran aground. After an investigation it was discovered that the ship's compass was out by 37°, although no conclusive reason was found for the incident.
Location
The wreck is located on stretch of rocks on the shoreline of Oliphantsbos Beach, within The Cape of Good HopeCape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
Nature Reserve. It is split into three sections with a boiler higher up on the beach.
See also
- List of shipwrecks of the Western Cape.