Wreck of first US ship sunk in WWII
The merchant vessel City of Rayville was the first United States ship to be sunk during World War II. It was sunk off of Australia on November 8th, 1940, by a German mine. The general location of the ship has been known, but its exact position has now been mapped using sonar. Read more about it on Discovery.
When it was sunk, all hands were able of abandon the ship in lifeboats. One sailor died when he returned to sinking ship to retrieve some personal items.
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Supposedly, the sinking was witnessed by a lighthouse keeper.
The comment “Supposedly, the sinking was witnessed by a lighthouse keeper” is in need of elaboration.
Brave Australian fishermen from nearby Apollo Bay led a rescue effort in treacherous seas, and they were subsequently individually thanked by letters from then US Secretary of State, Cordell Hull.
The “City of Rayville” was the first US ship sunk in WW2 and led to the death of the first US seaman in WW2. In a tragic chain of events, it led to the sinking of the first Royal Australian Navy ship in WW2 and the deaths of all 24 men on board who were the first Australian seamen to die in WW2.
The sinking of this ship preceded the Pearl Harbour attack by a year. The ship is a part of American history and deserves better than the offhand comment on this site.