RARE WWII 1944 SHIPS LOG * Convoy CU21 was Torpedo Attacked just Prior to D-DAY For Sale

1944 SS Santa Barbara Ship Logbook(Previously with Grace Lines) | Convoy CU-21 U-550 D-Day WWII Original wartime voyage record | March 29 - May 22, 1944 | Troop disembarkation in Wales. During voyage there was a U-boat attack on the convoy.*** DESCRIPTION An exceptional original World War II ship's logbook from the SS Santa Barbara, a Grace Line-operated C2 cargo ship under the command of Captain Howard Ford (Appears to be in log) covering March 29 through May 22, 1944 - a period that includes its Atlantic crossing in Convoy CU-21 during the critical Allied buildup in Britain before the June 6, 1944 D-Day invasion. Most notably, the April 27, 1944 entry records the vessel arriving at the docks and commencing the disembarkation of troops at 5:30, with the operation completed by 8:00 p.m.Internet search notes with wartime convoy records identify the Santa Barbara's destination as Barry Dock, Wales. The very next day's log describes a shore crane damaging a hatch while military cargo was being discharged. The wartime troop & cargo load included ammunition and other tactical military supplies, although a detailed cargo manifest has not been independently verified.The Santa Barbara is independently listed among the ships of Convoy CU-21, which sailed from New York in mid-April 1944 for Britain. On April 16, 1944, German submarine U-550 torpedoed the American tanker SS Pan Pennsylvania, a ship in the SAME convoy. The U.S. destroyer escorts USS Joyce (DE-317), USS Gandy (DE-764), and USS Peterson (DE-152) counterattacked and sank U-550. This engagement is documented in a contemporary U.S. Navy action report. The convoy attack is independently documented. ****HOWEVER, attack is NOT represented as an entry in this particular logbook that I could find.THE D-DAY CONNECTION The log is a period firsthand shipboard record of the vital Atlantic movement of troops and military cargo to Britain in the weeks preceding Operation Overlord (D-Day). Although the timing is striking, the logbook alone does not establish that any named passenger, soldier, or cargo shipment subsequently took part in the Normandy landings. WHAT THE LOGBOOK CONTAINS A working ship's daily record, the pages detail bridge and deck watches, personnel on duty, routine engine or equipment issues, ship alarms and system checks, hatch inspections, drills, cargo operations, pilots and tugboats, anchoring and docking procedures, and changing Atlantic weather and sea conditions. Entries in this original log are far more evocative than a later historical summary because they document the day-to-day operation of a merchant ship on an actual wartime convoy voyage.****HIGHLIGHTED DATED ENTRIES MARCH 29, 1944: Early entry referring to an oil tanker designated No. 21 and casting off from the docks. APRIL 14, 1944: Personnel coming aboard; operations include commencing to heave up the anchor. APRIL 27, 1944: KEY ENTRY: Arrival at the docks; 5:30 - "commenced disembarking troops"; 8:00 p.m. - "finished disembarking troops" (times and phrasing based on the owner's reading). APRIL 28, 1944: A shore crane damages one of the vessel's hatches during the discharge of military cargo. MAY 1, 1944: Describes a collision or forceful scraping contact involving the SS Framlington Court (ship-name reading to be checked against handwriting), with a port list and bent rails near the gun position. MAY 5, 1944: Rain, squalls and rough-weather observations; refers to the SS T. B. Robertson alongside, as well as movements of pilots and tugboats. MAY 21, 1944: At 5:45 p.m., a small fire is discovered on the port side and extinguished. The entry also states that Voyage No. 8 ends at midnight.WARTIME ARMED MERCHANT VESSEL The Santa Barbara is reported to have carried a U.S. Navy Armed Guard detachment of approximately 25-30 sailors and defensive shipboard weapons, including bow and stern guns and anti-aircraft batteries. The precise number of Armed Guard personnel and the specific gun configuration have not been independently verified for this vessel and voyage.**** SPECIFICATIONS AND CONDITION Physical size: Approximately 12 x 10 inches, about 1/2 inch thick. Dates covered: March 29-May 22, 1944. Vessel: SS Santa Barbara (Grace Line's 1943 C2 cargo ship). Command: identified by the owner as Captain Howard Ford. ****Condition: a surviving wartime working logbook; please examine the photographs carefully for page, binding and cover condition. No claim of archival certification or independent handwriting authentication is made. A compelling piece of original maritime and WWII history, especially for collectors of the U.S. Merchant Marine, Grace Line, Navy Armed Guard, Battle of the Atlantic, military logistics, transatlantic convoys, and D-Day-related material.***SHIPPING: Sellers option USPS, FEDEX or UPS.
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