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RICHARD H. HOLBROOK
Cadet Richard H. Holbrook was an
engineer who died on April 6, 1942 while on board the SS Bienville. The
freighter SS Bienville was en route from Calcutta to Colombo, Ceylon. She
was caring a cargo of manganese ore, jute and other general cargo. The ship was
sailing alone and unarmed. While in the Bay of Bengal, Japanese planes began
bombing the American ship around 0700 on April 6, 1942. The two planes dropped
four bombs. One of the bombs hit the forward port side of the number two hatch
setting the cargo on fire. Two of the bombs struck close along side the ship,
while the third missed the stern of the ship because she was swinging. Then
around 0740 a Japanese cruiser opened fire from about a mile away. The ship was
hit five times by salvos from the cruiser. The engineer tried to lay a smoke
screen from the stack, but to no avail. The crew abandoned ship around 0800 and
soon after, the ship sank. Some of the crewmembers got in the only life raft not
damaged by the attack, while others jumped into the water. The crewmembers in
the water were soon picked up by the life raft. Fifteen survivors in this boat
reached Cuttack, India while six others reached Calcutta. Five of the six that
reached Calcutta died from shell wounds. Only sixteen of the forty crewmen
survived this attack.
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