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CHARLES W. TAMPLIN

Midshipman Cadet Charles W. Tamplin was a deck cadet from the United States Merchant Marine Academy who served aboard a liberty ship during World War II.  His assignment was the Steam Ship Richard Bland, a 441-foot ship out of Baltimore, Maryland.  The ship had a 7179 gross ton capacity, and transported war supplies, including lumber, planes, tanks, and food.  On her last journey, the Richard Bland had left port in Russia and was headed to New York City in a convoy across the North Atlantic.  She never made it across, being sunk by enemy action.

At 0827 on March 5, 1943, a torpedo hit the bow section of the Richard Bland.  The forward bulkhead was punctured and the deck cracked, but the ship still managed to stay afloat and continue on its journey despite incurring heavy damage.  In the following few days, the Richard Bland lost contact with its convoy during a storm.  Five days later, the German submarine U-225 (Reche), the same submarine that had crippled the ship initially, sunk 2 more torpedoes into the hull of the Richard Bland.  The incident was reported to have occurred at 1643, 25 miles off the coast of Iceland.  The ship split in half from the impact, with the stern section sinking and the forward section staying afloat with survivors.  Going down with the ship were 19 merchant crewmen, including Cadet Tamplin, and 15 Naval officers.  Thirty-five survivors entered lifeboats and were rescued by a British ship. 

The German sub U-225 eventually surrendered in Norway.