World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseLiberty ship SS Antoine Saugrain was delivered to the United States War Shipping Administration in Aug 1943. In Dec 1944, she found herself in the Philippine Islands. On 5 Dec 1944, while carrying 450 crew member and passengers, she came under attack by Japanese aircraft. At 0840 hours, a number of bombs were dropped in her proximity, causing no damage. At 1220 hours, she claimed to have damaged a Japanese torpedo bomber. A few minutes later, she was struck by a aerial torpedo on the port side, blowing away the rudder and leaving her dead in the water. At 1231 hours, she claimed hits on another torpedo aircraft. Very shortly after, she was struck by a second torpedo which detonated in the No. 2 hold. The abandon ship order was given at 1247 hours. An attempt was made to tow her to shallow waters, but she would sink while under tow in the Surigao Strait on 6 Dec 1944. While a number of passengers and crew were wounded during the attack, no fatalities were recorded.

Merchant Vessel Antoine Saugrain Interactive Map

Antoine Saugrain Operational Timeline