SS ''Managua'' was a Nicaraguan

cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's List of seas, seas and Ocean, oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. ...

that the German submarine ''U-67'' torpedoed on 16 June 1942 in the

Straits of Florida The Straits of Florida, Florida Straits, or Florida Strait () is a strait located south-southeast of the North American mainland, generally accepted to be between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, and between the Florida Keys (U.S.) an ...

while she was travelling from

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

, United States to

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

with a cargo of

potash Potash ( ) includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water- soluble form.

. The ship was built as ''Glorieta'', a Design 1049 ship in 1919, operated by the

United States Shipping Board The United States Shipping Board (USSB) was a corporation established as an emergency agency by the 1916 Shipping Act (39 Stat. 729), on September 7, 1916. The United States Shipping Board's task was to increase the number of US ships supporting ...

(USSB) until sold to the

Munson Steamship Line The Munson Steamship Line, frequently shortened to the Munson Line, was an American steamship company that operated in the Atlantic Ocean primarily between U.S. ports and ports in the Caribbean and South America. The line was founded in 1899 as a ...

in 1920 and renamed ''Munisla''. The ship was sold foreign to a Honduran company, Garcia, in 1937 and renamed ''Neptuno''. In 1941 the ship was re-flagged in Nicaragua with the name ''Managua''.

Construction

''Glorieta'' was built as the

Emergency Fleet Corporation The Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) was established by the United States Shipping Board, sometimes referred to as the War Shipping Board, on 16 April 1917 pursuant to the Shipping Act (39 Stat. 729) to acquire, maintain, and operate merchant shi ...

Design 1049 cargo ship at the Albina Engine & Machinery Works Inc. shipyard in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

as the yard's hull number 13 in 1919. ''Glorieta'' was launched and completed that same year, given U.S. Official Number 217829, signal LNQT with home port of New York, New York. Registry of 1920 shows the ship registered as , , registry length, beam and depth of . Propulsion was by 1 x 3 cyl. triple expansion engine driving a screw propeller. The ship could reach a maximum speed of 12 knots and could generate 313 n.h.p. After purchase by Munson the ship's tonnage changed to , .

Sinking

''Managua'' departed

on 13 June 1942 for

with a cargo of

Potash Potash ( ) includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water- soluble form.

with a stopover at

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

. At 04.01 am on 16 June, ''Managua'' was hit on the port side in #3 hold by a torpedo from the German submarine U-67 about southwest of Sombrero Lighthouse in the

. The following explosion broke the back of ''Managua'' which caused her to list to her port side and sank by the stern in 11 minutes. All 25 crew members safely evacuated the ship in two lifeboats and two rafts but weren't able to send a distress signal. ''U-67'' then surfaced and approached one of the lifeboats. The u-boat crew ordered two men from the lifeboats to come aboard for questioning. They were asked about the name of their vessel, their last port of departure, their destination, their cargo and if there were English or Americans amongst the crew. Afterwards they were allowed to return to the lifeboats with their fellow crewmen. The first lifeboat reached

Matanzas Matanzas (Cuban ; ) is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas Province, Matanzas. Known for its poets, culture, and Afro-American religions, Afro-Cuban folklore, it is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Mat ...

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

on 17 June followed by the second lifeboat at

Pigeon Key, Florida Pigeon Key is a small island containing the historic district of Pigeon Key, Florida. The island is home to 8 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, some of which remain from its earliest incarnation as a work camp for the Fl ...

that same day.

Wreck

The wreck of ''Managua'' lies at ().

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Managua (1919) 1919 ships Design 1049 ships Cargo ships of the United States Steamships of the United States Shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean Ships sunk by German submarines in World War II Ships sunk with no fatalities Maritime incidents in June 1942 World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean