Thirty-eight of the 40 crew members of the U-58 survived to become prisoners of war in the United States.The Open Beta program is Operated before the official release on 18th January 2018 Henry and Coxswain Daniel Lommis both received a Navy Cross for their actions during their encounter with U-58.įanning and Nicholson continued the war escorting and patrolling the North Atlantic, making several more inconclusive contacts with German submarines. The Fanning and Nicholson 's sinking of U-58 was one of only a few engagements of World War I in which U.S. That ended the action with an American victory. The German submariners surrendered and Fanning maneuvered to take prisoners. If U-58 had surfaced in a battle ready position, Fanning would have surely been attacked and possibly sunk. Charges also knocked out the main generator aboard the Fanning. Kapitänleutnant Amberger ordered the ballast tanks blown and the submarine went up. American fire had hit the submarine near its diving planes, making the sub unmaneuverable. The Germans unsuccessfully returned fire and surrendered at around 4:30. Nicholson struck the U-boat with at least one shot from her bow gun.

The Americans spotted U-58 when it surfaced, and Fanning fired three shots with her stern gun. Then USS Nicholson joined in the fighting, commanded by Frank Berrien, and dropped another depth charge herself. Henry ordered the destroyer to make circles and engage.Īt 4:00 Fanning dropped three depth charges, scoring a hit which shook up the U-boat well. The German submarine lined up for a shot at the British merchant steamer SS Welshman and almost immediately Officer of the Deck Lieutenant William O. Carpender commanding, at 4:10 on 17 November 1917, Coxswain Daniel David Loomis of the Fanning sighted U-58, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Gustav Amberger, when the U-boat had surfaced to extend her periscope. While escorting the eight vessel convoy OQ-20 eastbound, the two destroyers made contact with an enemy submarine. Their mission was to escort convoys and rescue survivors of sunken merchant ships as well as to seek out and destroy German U-boats. The action was fought between a German U-boat and two United States Navy destroyers in the North Atlantic Ocean.īased in Queenstown, Ireland, USS Fanning and her sister destroyer USS Nicholson patrolled the eastern waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The action of 17 November 1917 was a naval battle of the First World War.

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