TELL ME WHAT WERE THEIR NAMES: SINKING OF THE USS REUBEN JAMES (DD-245) by Michael Rigg

"Sinking of the REUBEN JAMES,
31 October 1941"
by Bailey Coale Griffiths

The United States Navy traces its roots to October 13, 1775, when the Continental Congress authorized “. . . a swift sailing vessel, to carry ten carriage guns, and a proportionable number of swivels, with eighty men, be fitted, with all possible dispatch[sic], for a cruise of three months . . .” And in the 251 years since, logbooks have recorded many acts of honor, courage, and commitment. The sinking of the USS Reuben James (DD-245) is just one of them.

On October 23, 1941, REUBEN JAMES, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Heywood L. “Tex” Edwards, set sail from Argentia, Newfoundland to escort convoy HX-156. She was one of five destroyers protecting more than fifty merchant ships, some American and some British. Note that the United States was not at war, its official position one of neutrality as World War Two raged in Europe.

At daybreak on October 31, 1941, approximately 600 miles west of Ireland, a torpedo fired by German U-Boat U-522 hit REUBEN JAMES on her port side, ignited her forward magazine, and blew her in half. According to one survivor, Electrician’s Mate Thomas Turnbull, “The whole front of the ship lifted up and it was gone. Gone in an instant.” The remainder of the ship, the aft section, remained afloat for about five minutes.

Of the ship’s crew, only forty-five survived. Ninety-nine sailors perished, including all seven of the ship’s officers.

The sinking of the REUBEN JAMES followed two other U-Boat attacks on U.S. Navy ships beginning in September 1941. With the United States Congress, and citizens, divided on the question of entering the war, these attacks did not result in a declaration of war. It was only a few short weeks, however, before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor unified a divided nation.

The legacy of that deadly Halloween lives on in the song “The Sinking of the Reuben James,” written by Woody Guthrie. Sung to the tune of “Wildwood Flower,” here are the first two stanzas:

Have you heard of a ship called the good Reuben James
Manned by hard fighting men both of honor and fame?
She flew the Stars and Stripes of the land of the free
But tonight she's in her grave on the bottom of the sea

Tell me what were their names, tell me what were their names
Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James?
What were their names, tell me, what were their names?
Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James?

Listen to the full song in a version sung by Woody Guthrie: The Sinking Of The Reuben James

This presentation by The Kingston Trio lists the names of those lost:  "The Sinking of the Reuben James" by The Kingston Trio

For a more detailed history of the attack, see: Sinking the USS Reuben James - Warfare History Network