3 February 1943 A.D. 4 U.S. Military Chaplains Go Down with the Troop Transport, the USS DORCHESTER—Torpedoed by German U-Boat

3 February 1943 A.D.  4 U.S. Military Chaplains Go Down with the Troop Transport, the USS DORCHESTER—Torpedoed by German U-Boat

Editors. “1943 – The U.S. transport ship “Dorchester,” which was carrying troops to Greenland, sank after being hit by a torpedo..”  This Day in U.S. Military History.  N.d. https://thisdayinusmilhist.wordpress.com/2014/02/03/february-3/.  Accessed 2 Feb 2015.

1943 – The U.S. transport ship “Dorchester,” which was carrying troops to Greenland, sank after being hit by a torpedo. Four Army chaplains gave their life belts to four other men, and went down with the ship. The torpedoing of the transport Dorchester off the coast of Greenland saw CGC Comanche and Escanaba respond. The crew of Escanaba used a new rescue technique when pulling survivors from the water. This “retriever” technique used swimmers clad in wet suits to swim to victims in the water and secure a line to them so they could be hauled onto the ship. Although Escanaba saved 133 men (one died later) and Comanche saved 97, over 600 men were lost, including the famous “Four Chaplains”.