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Serpa Pinto incident

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Serpa Pinto incident
Part of Battle of the Atlantic and World War II

Serpa Pinto during the Second World War
Date26 May, 1944
(~9 hours)
LocationAtlantic Ocean
Result
  • Ship searched
  • Passengers and crew temporarily evacuated
  • Ship allowed to continue its journey
Belligerents
 Germany
Commanders and leaders
Unknown Unknown
Units involved
Portugal N/T Serpa Pinto Nazi Germany U-541
Strength
1 ship
150 crew		 1 submarine
Casualties and losses
Portugal:
3 dead
United States
2 captured		 None

The Serpa Pinto incident was a maritime event that occurred in the Atlantic Ocean during World War II.

Background

On 16 May, 1944, N/T Serpa Pinto, with 150 repatriates on board, left Lisbon for Philadelphia. She called at Porto on 18 May, and Ponta Delgada in the Azores on 21 May.

Incident

On 26 May 1944, the N/T Serpa Pinto was intercepted in the Atlantic by a German submarine. The U-boat crew ordered all passengers and crew to abandon the ship and board lifeboats for nine hours while the Germans searched the vessel. Although the Serpa Pinto was not carrying war materials, the ordeal led to the capture of two young Americans and the deaths of three passengers, the ship's doctor died by falling from a rope ladder into the sea, one of the cooks was killed by the block and tackle, and a 16-month-old daughter of a Polish refugee couple was killed when one of the lifeboats was being lowered and one of the boat's falls broke, tipping all of its occupants into the sea. After the search, the ship was allowed to proceed.

Aftermath

The incident caused alarm within the United States, prompting the State Department to consider prohibiting American citizens from using Portuguese vessels. In the end, only government officials were barred, while civilians were merely warned of the risks. The British government, concerned about the impact on evacuee repatriations, ensured that planned operations continued without restrictions.

References

  1. ^ Jackson 2021, p. 167.
  2. ^ "U-boat Halts Refugee Ship, Takes Off Two Americans". The New York Times. 1 June 1944. pp. 1, 7. Retrieved 5 March 2024 – via Times Machine.
  3. ^ "Nine Hours of Terror Spent in Lifeboat Recalled by a Woman Survivor Here". The New York Times. 3 June 1944. p. 15. Retrieved 5 March 2024 – via Times Machine.
  4. Jackson 2021, p. 167–168.
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