The SS Norlantic was an American cargo vessel with a notable service history marked by its construction, ownership changes, and its sinking during World War II. Originally built as the SS Lake Fandango, she was a Design 1099 cargo ship constructed in 1919 by the Detroit Shipbuilding Company of Wyandotte, Michigan, for the United States Shipping Board (USSB). Launched on December 24, 1919, she was completed in March 1920. The ship’s early career details are scant, but she later operated under the name SS Lexington after being sold in 1933 to the Merchants & Miners Transportation Company of Baltimore, Maryland. In 1941, the vessel changed ownership again, being sold to the Norlasco Steamship Company of New York and renamed SS Norlantic. As a typical cargo ship of her era, she was designed for carrying general cargo, a role she fulfilled while operating along American and Caribbean routes. Her final voyage began in May 1942 when she sailed from Pensacola, Florida, loaded with approximately 3,800 long tons of cargo, including cement and steel pipes, destined for Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela. On the early morning of May 13, about 90 nautical miles east of Bonaire, the Norlantic was attacked by the German U-boat U-69 under Kapitänleutnant Ulrich Graf. The submarine first fired two torpedoes that missed, then began shelling the vessel from a close distance. Despite signals from the crew signaling their intention to abandon ship, U-69 continued shelling until a coup de grâce struck her port boiler room at 04:11, leading to her scuttling by her captain. The attack resulted in the loss of seven lives—two below deck, four during the evacuation, and one later from wounds. Rescue efforts commenced shortly after, with lifeboats and rafts being rescued by nearby vessels, including the schooners India and Mississippi, and later SS Marpesia and the tug Crusader Kingston. The survivors were scattered across the Caribbean, with some eventually reaching Trinidad after drifting for days and covering over a thousand nautical miles from the scene of the sinking. The SS Norlantic’s sinking exemplifies the peril faced by merchant ships during wartime, especially in the Atlantic and Caribbean waters, and highlights her role as a typical cargo vessel caught in the broader context of WWII maritime warfare.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.