Technical
tanker - motor - single screw
7,050 GRT - 10,250 DWT
450' x 59'2" x 26'7"
Service Speed 10.5 knots
Armament: 1 x 5 inch - 2 x .30 cal.

U-506 two torpedoes at the tanker at 09:31 CET. One of the torpedoes struck target but with little effect. The torpedo had hit on the starboard side aft of the bridge in the N�6 tank and although the ship immediately took a starboard list the Master managed to get her on an even keel by shifting ballast. Aurora kept on sailing but her Maser kept most of the men on deck near the lifeboats.

Two more torpedoes were fired at 10:57 CET and one of the torpedoes struck just aft of the first hit in tank N�8. The second torpedo struck at the N�4 tank. After the crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats and two rafts, W�rdemann surfaced and at 11:16 CET opened fire with the 10.5 centimetre deckgun. Twenty-two rounds were fired, and then when the ship was on fire and apparently in sinking condition U-506 left the scene. W�rdemann claimed she sank, but in fact, she was badly damaged.

The coastal diesel yacht Onyx (PYc-5) and the district patrol craft YP-157 rescued the 38 man crew (one of whom died later of his wounds) and the 12 man Armed Guard. The USCG tug Tuckahoe (WYT-89) arrived at the scene to tow the damaged ship and provided a fire and rescue party with hoses and extinguishers. Onyx and YP-157 escorted Aurora and Tuckahoe toward Southwest Pass. On 11th May the tow arrived off Southwest Pass and the civilian tug Robert W. Wilmot assisted, but Aurora drifted onto a shoal at the entrance of the Pass. Subsequently though she was salvaged and repaired and later returned to service as Jamestown.

Thanks to Walter Janssens for extra information on this page.

Unless otherwise stated, all dates and times are from the German perspective and are given in CET.
NEW There is a page to assist with grid squares here.