SS Antoine Saugrain
| History | |
|---|---|
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| Name: | SS Antoine Saugrain |
| Namesake: | Dr. Antoine Saugrain |
| Builder: | Permanente Metals Corporation Yard No. 2, Richmond, California |
| Way number: | 12 |
| Laid down: | 26 July 1943 |
| Launched: | 15 August 1943 |
| Acquired: | 28 August 1943 |
| Fate: | Sunk, 6 December 1944 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Liberty ship |
| Displacement: | 14,245 long tons (14,474 t) |
| Length: | 441 ft 6 in (134.57 m) |
| Beam: | 56 ft 11 in (17.35 m) |
| Draft: | 27 ft 9 in (8.46 m) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) |
| Range: | 23,000 mi (37,000 km) |
| Capacity: | 10,856 t (10,685 long tons) deadweight (DWT) |
| Complement: | 41 men |
| Armament: |
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SS Antoine Saugrain was a Liberty ship of the United States that served in World War II. The ship was built at the Permanente Metals Corporation Yard No. 2 in Richmond, California under Maritime Commission Contract 1728. Laid down on 26 July 1943, the ship was launched on 15 August, and delivered on 28 August. She was torpedoed off Leyte on 5 December 1944, and sank the next day.
Antoine Saugrain fought off 12 kamikaze torpedo planes on 5 December 1944. Twelve gunners were wounded and merchant seamen took over the machine guns to fight off the attack. Two days later she was sunk by a torpedo plane while in tow in the Surigao Strait near Leyte Gulf. Some of the 450 survivors had to swim a long time before being rescued.
The Coast Guard frigate's role of escorting convoys from the staging areas to the invasion sites likewise was crucial. In late November, the Coronado and San Pedro left Humboldt Bay, New Guinea, to steam the 1,250 miles to escort a convoy of ships bringing supplies and men to Leyte. The voyage proceeded without incident until 5 December when enemy planes attacked the convoy. One Japanese torpedo plane attacked the SS Antoine Saugrain from the port beam. The torpedo struck the freighter at the stern, exploded, and carried away its rudder. Fifteen minutes later another torpedo bomber approached the Saugrain and despite heavy gunfire, put a torpedo in the ship at the number two hold. This torpedo fatally wounded the vessel. The Saugrain had on board nearly 450 crew and Army troops. The Coronado and San Pedro steamed to the assistance of the freighter and saved all hands.
The entire campaign for Leyte was that made on a convoy that was north-east of Mindanao and just one day out of Leyte on December 5. The Armed Guard voyage reports of 15 merchant ships tell the story of the action which resulted in the loss of one merchant ship, Antoine Saugrain, and damage to two other ships, Marcus Daly and John Evans. Japanese plane losses probably amounted to ten planes destroyed. The action opened with a bombing attack at about 0840, which did no damage. At 1220, Antoine Saugrain claimed hits on a torpedo plane that was strafing the convoy. A little later a torpedo hit the ship. At 1231 she claimed hits on another torpedo plane and almost immediately was hit by a second torpedo in her No. 2 hold. At 1247 the order was given to abandon ship. She finally went down while being towed to Leyte on December 6.
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