On October 31, 1941, the Atlantic became a battlefield for the United States even before the country had formally entered World War II. The German submarine attack on the USS Reuben James marked the first time an American Navy ship was destroyed during the conflict, foreshadowing the coming fight across the globe.
The USS Reuben James was named in honor of Reuben James, a naval hero born around 1776. James served in the US Navy during a time when America was still proving itself on the world stage. During the Barbary Wars, he served aboard the USS Enterprise under Lieutenant Stephen Decatur. In 1804, when Decatur led a daring mission to burn the captured American frigate Philadelphia in the harbor at Tripoli, James showed extraordinary courage. Stepping between a pirate’s sword and Decatur during the boarding, James was wounded but survived to continue serving with distinction through the War of 1812 and subsequent naval engagements. He passed away in 1838 at a Naval Hospital, leaving behind a legacy of bravery that inspired the naming of the ship decades later.
The USS Reuben James (DD-245) was commissioned in September 1920. In its early years, the destroyer patrolled the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas, providing humanitarian aid to refugees fleeing the unrest in Yugoslavia. In October 1921, the ship participated in ceremonies honoring the return of the Unknown Soldier to the United States. Later, the Reuben James patrolled the coast of Nicaragua, helping prevent weapons from reaching revolutionaries. After more than a decade of service, the destroyer was briefly decommissioned in 1931, only to return to duty the following year amid growing global tensions.
When World War II erupted in Europe in September 1939, the Reuben James joined the Neutrality Patrol, protecting the Atlantic and Caribbean shipping lanes and helping ensure that vital supplies reached allied nations. By March 1941, the ship was escorting convoys carrying war materials to Britain, part of a strategy to aid the Allies without direct involvement in combat.
On October 23, 1941, the Reuben James departed Newfoundland with four other destroyers, escorting a convoy of merchant ships across the Atlantic. Eight days later, in the early hours of October 31, the convoy encountered a German “wolfpack”, a coordinated group of submarines lying in wait. Acting heroically, the Reuben James positioned itself between a merchant vessel and a torpedo fired by a German U-boat. The torpedo struck the destroyer, detonating a magazine and blowing off the ship’s entire bow. The forward section sank instantly, and the remainder of the ship floated for only about five minutes before succumbing to the sea.
The Reuben James had seven officers, 136 enlisted men, and one passenger on board. Tragically, 100 crew members were killed, and only 44 enlisted men survived the attack. This marked the first time a US Navy ship had been sunk in World War II, serving as a stark reminder that the Atlantic war had already reached American sailors.
The loss of the Reuben James had immediate strategic consequences. Following the attack, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the US Navy to engage German and Italian warships in the Atlantic whenever necessary. Just over a month later, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, would propel the United States into full-scale global war.
Click here to listen to Woody Guthrie’s “The Sinking of the Reuben James.”
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Thank you for this story and many thanks for the link to Woodie Guthrie’s song!
Long time since I heard that one- great trip down memory lane !
I never knew of the Reuben James till today. The men on the ship, and the ship itself were heroes. I have always loved Woody Guthrie but never knew of this song. Also, the website plays the song by the Kingston Trio and lists the names individually of the men who perished on the ship. And shows pictures of them also. What a tribute to them. Thank you Mystic for making me aware of this piece of American history. Thanks to you it will never be forgotten.
A tip of the hat to Woodie Guthrie as well. Although he opposed war, when the time came he did not shirk and hide, but served in the Merchant Marine where he placed himself in great danger to serve others. Thanks Mystic.
Thank you so much for this story. I of course knew of the Reuben James, but never before knew of the many services she provided for our Country before WWII. And thank you so much for the link to the song – a real trip down memory lane. And the photos were fantastic. You always go the extra mile to provide us with an interesting experience ! Thank you Mystic !
I served in the Navy for 16 years. We were told of the ships which were sank , but of course not all. It reminds me of man overboard drills and having to put on our gas masks as well. Putting their ship in front of another to protect it, was something they told us on the frigate I was on. We had to do that to protect the aircraft carrier we were with.
Thankfully, during my time in, that never had to occur. They are still out there doing the job, most Americans are thankful for, but need to remember every day of their life. This veterans day please remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, as well as those in harms way today.
Wonderful story. Love these articles.
Yes. Thank you Mystic.
As I look over the 29 cent stamp “commemorating” this tragedy, not for the first time as I collect U.S. Commemorative stamps, I am taken aback. The viewpoint on stamp, looking through the periscope of the wolfpack U-Boat, doesn’t seem appropriate any more than a stamp commemorating 9/11 showing the jet crashing through one of the towers would be.