U.S.S. Reuben James Sunk

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NBC US DESTROYER REUBEN JAMES SUNK BY GERMAN U-BOAT 29 PHO SEP Destroyer Reuen James súnk october 31 1991 85026 MBS NBC Chuis lalle CBS

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U.S.S. REUBEN JAMES SUNK First Day of Issue: September 3, 1991 First Issue Location: Phoenix, Arizona The waters of the Atlantic in 1941 were becoming deadly waters, especially for convoys carrying Lend-Lease goods from the United States to Great Britain. To protect the convoys, American warships sailed as escort until their British counterparts could provide protection to the island nation. Germany vowed to stop the flow of matériel at any cost and their deadly U-boats threatened to do just that. On October 17, 1941, the destroyer U.S.S. Kearney was hit and damaged by a German torpedo. Eleven men died and the Kearney was temporarily knocked out of action. But this was just the beginning. On the morning of October 31, 1941, the twenty-one year old destroyer U.S.S. Reuben James was escorting a convoy off Iceland when it was hit by a torpedo fired from a German U-boat commanded by Erich Topp. The torpedo took the vener- able destroyer just below the bridge, igniting the ship in a horrific explosion. The ship sank in only minutes, taking one hundred fifteen men along with her. The U.S. eased closer still to war. No. 91-64 ©1991 The Maximum Card Collection A division of Unicover Corporation . Cheyenne, WY 82008-0007 ® Original painting for the Maximum Card by Chris Calle