Jonna 1933

S/S Jonna af Esbjerg, 1517 Reg. T. Br. Bygget 1933 af Staal. 1 Mand kommet til Skade ved Ulykkestilfælde d. 16/10 37 i Rio de Janeiro. Søforklaring i Rio de Janeiro d. 17/10 37.Søforklaring og Søforhør i Svendborg d.11/5 38. Under Besigtigelse af Skibets Køleanlæg faldt Germanischer Lloyds Repræsentant pludselig ned i Bb.s Ventilator, der var i Gang. Ventilatoren stoppede straks, og den tilskadekomne, der havde faaet Benene stærkt kvæstede blev i en tilkaldt Ambulance kørt til Hospitalet. Anm. Der er intet oplyst om Aarsagen til Ulykken.

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18

SS PILLORY Home Port: Panama City, R.P. Company: Danish Ship Operating Co. Master: Laurid N. Sorensen (49) Danish citizen (Lost) Built: Nakskou, Denmark 1933 Gross Tons: 1517

The SS PILLORY, ex Danish JONNA, was confiscated by the U.S. Government under Executive Privilege. She was turned over to the War Shipping Administration at the port of New York on June 11, 1941. On August 5, 1941 she was Bareboat Chartered to the U.S. War Department. On March 17, 1942, the ship was assigned to the Marine Operating Company at the port of New York under a GAA agreement. At this time she was renamed PILLORY and registered under the flag of Panama. On August 19, 1942, the Stockard SS Company took her over for operation. On Feburary 8, 1944 the Danish Ship Operating Company took over the operation at the port of Norfolk under a GAA agreement. The SS PILLORY, a coal burning Panamanian flag freighter, was torpedoed by the German U-539 (Lauterbach-Emden) at 1430 EWT on June 5, 1944 while en route from San Juan P.R. to Guayanilla, P.R. in ballast to load sugar. She was escorted by the USCG #83310, an 83' cutter, the ship was sunk in position 18-26 N./67-17 W. On board was a merchant crew of 37 and a U.S. Naval Armed Guard contingent of 9 enlisted men and one Officer. Twenty-one (21) crew members were lost along with four (4) of the Armed Guard. The Master was among those lost. The PILLORY had departed San Juan about 0700 on June 5, 1942. At 1300 she made a rendezvous with the CG #83310 Which was to be her escort. The escort took station about 500 yards off the starboard beam where it had difficulty keeping up with the PILLORY. At 1430 EWT, a torpedo struck directly below the starboard wing of the bridge blowing all those in that area overboard. After the explosion the ship list to starboard. The entire superstructure and bridge were blown away. Three of the ship's officers and the Navy signalman were blown overboard. A hole was blown in #2 hold flooding the hold rapidly. The engines continued running and the propeller continued turning as the stern lifted in the air. Two minutes after the 1st torpedo hit, a 2nd struck amidships on the starboard side breaking the ship in two and blowing engine room machinery out through the skylight. The PILLORY went down by the bow immediately after the 2nd torpedo hit. There was no time to launch lifeboats but some rafts were cut loose. Those who survived the two explosions all jumped overboard and proceeded to swim to the rafts. Many who had jumped over the side after the 1st explosion were killed by falling debris caused by the 2nd explosion. Following the sinking of the PILLORY, the sea was dotted with wreckage. The #83310 began to pick up survivors rescuing a total of 21 men. The USCG CRAWFORD (WSC 134) picked up two more. All were taken to Mayaguez, arriving there at 1730 on June 5th.

The U-539 (Lauterbach-Emden) surrendered at Bergen, Norway in May 1945.

The PILLORY was the only ship the U-539 sank. However, it did damage the SS KITTANNING on July 5, 1944. The T-2 tanker was repaired and put back into service.

U.S. MERCHANT SEAMEN LOST FORD, Alphonso (34) STEPHENSON, Frank C. (52) ACEVEDOK, Pedro (29) ROBLES, Damasco (40)

U.S. NAVAL ARMED GUARD LOST DANIELS, Bruce B. DEISCHER, Paul C. TRECHE, Richard H. WATSON, James T, ***

Messman Fireman Coal Passer Coal Passer

S lc S lc SM 3c GM 3c

Savannah, GA Conneault, OH Mayaguez, P.R. Fajardo, P.R.

*** This man was crossing the catwalk to his forward gun station when the 2nd torpedo hit causing him severe internal injuries. He died in a hospital shortly after being brought ashore.

U.S. MERCHANT SEAMEN SURVIVORS CONNELL, John J. (33) GOSSERT, Robert F. (29)

U.S. NAVAL ARMED GUARD SURVIVORS MILLMAN, Matthew *** CAMPBELL, Jamea, R. DOMBECKI, Edward F. McGINN, Patrick J. OLINGER, Robert S. ZINK, John S.

Radio Op. Purser

Lt. Jg S 1c S 1c S 1c S 1c S 1c

Stoughton, MA Shippenburg, PA

*** This man, the Armed Guard officer, was blown overboard from the bridge wing causing seven of his vertebrae to be fractured. He was hospitalized in Mayaguez until October 12, 1944 before being evacuated to the Jacksonville Naval Hospital

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Wolfpack operations

U-539 operated with the following Wolfpacks during its career:
   Rossbach (24 Sep 1943 - 9 Oct 1943)