The Crew of the Reuben James

Battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945)

Convoys of merchant ships in 1941 traversed the North Atlantic with coal, timber, manganese ore, kyanite ore, pig iron, copper, cotton, sugar, meat, cheese, butter, foodstuffs, and other materials that were a lifeline for Great Britain. Adolph Hitler’s strategic goal was to cut off the vital materials those convoys carried and to starve Great Britain into submission and surrender to Germany. So, packs of German U-boats prowled the waters for convoys to attack.

The mission of the Reuben James I (DD-245) in October 1941 to escort convoys in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic was becoming more dangerous. German U-boats attacked the U.S. Naval destroyer Greer on September 4th, 1941, and then the U.S.S. Kearny (DD-432) on October 17, 1941, killing eleven members of the U.S. Navy and wounded several others.

The crew of the Reuben James I (DD-245) was made up of men from all walks of life, some from very humble beginnings to those more well-off.  They hailed from farms, small towns, and cities, across America.  Some came from families that had been in the United States since its founding to those who were first generation Americans.  From large families to parents who would suffer the loss of their only child.  Navy regulars and Navy reservists called to active duty served side by side with a shared purpose to accomplish their assigned mission. 

Convoy HX-156 with 44 merchant ships departed on October 23, 1941, from Halifax, Nova Scotia and steamed eastward towards the North Atlantic with a final destination of Great Britain. The merchant ships carried petroleum products, steel, grain, sugar, and other material and supplies. The Reuben James took her position along with other U.S. destroyers escorting the convoy.

The Reuben James I (DD-245) on October 31, 1941, was attacked and sunk by a German submarine with a loss of seven officers and 94 enlisted men. The Reuben James was the first U.S. Navy ship sunk by enemy action during World War II. Lieutenant Commander Heywood Lane Edwards, the Commanding Officer, was from San Saba, San Saba County, Texas.

December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor

The nation was outraged over the loss of the Reuben James I (DD-245) but it was soon overshadowed when just weeks later the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and killed a total of 2,403 personnel: 2,008 Navy, 109 Marines, 218 Army and 68 civilians. The United States of America declared war on Japan on December 8, 1941, on Germany and Italy on December 11, 1941, and entered World War II.

The U.S. Navy continued its fight in the Battle of the North Atlantic and faced two dangers German U-boats and extreme weather. The U.S. Navy ships Pollux (AKS-2) and Truxton (DD-229) on February 18, 1942, were grounded during a storm off St. Lawrence Harbor, Newfoundland and broke apart and 205 Navy personnel were lost. Many more losses would be suffered over the control of sea lanes in the North Atlantic, but the allies won the Battle of the Atlantic in 1945.