T he SS Astral was a 7,542 gross ton steamer tanker that was completed in 1919 at Union Iron Works, San Francisco, CA. She was own and operated by Socony-Vacuum Oil Co. Inc, New York, NY.....and home ported out of that city as well. The Astral being neutrally marked was en route from Aruba, N.W.I. to Lisbon, Portugal with 78,200 bbl’s of gasoline and kerosene. Her master was Chris Alsager and she carried a crew of eight officers and twenty-nine men. The Astral crossed the path of the German Submarine U-575, and this led to the sub commander to track the tanker for a few hours, but in doing so he noticed the ship was unarmed and had the United States flag painted on her side. So he broke off contact with the tanker....this being December 1, 1941 before the U.S. had actually entered the war Soon after the U-575 broke off contact another Sub spotted the Astral on a full moon December 1, 1941 evening. This sub was U-43, he tailed the Astral for several hours...but this commanders view of the situation was to maneuvered into a position to fire off one torpedo at the tanker....he didn’t care if it was a neutral ship...he set out to sink this vessel. This first shot missed its mark, but it did not go unnoticed by the lookouts on the Astral...immediately she began a zigzag course. The U-43 stuck with the tanker all night and into the next day, just tagging along and waiting for the right opportunity in take another shot at this neutral ship....and finally they did....the U-43 fired off 2 torpedoes on December 2nd at about 0724 at the Astral.....one hit the stern and the other smashed into the tankers midships. The Astral exploded into flames and sank withing minutes....her cargo of gasoline and kerosene burned for over an hour. It was the flammable nature of this cargo that contributed to the deaths of the master, eight officers and entire crew of this vessel. This actually was the third of four American merchant ships sunk by U-boats prior to American’s entry to the war. LOST CREW Chris Alsager (Master); Victor F. Balkcom Jr.(AB); Joseph A. Bosse (Oiler); John A. Browne (Oiler); Anastaco Caraballo (Messman); Ernest W. Carlson (3rd Engr.) Joseph Croasdale (AB); Walter J. Currier (OS) Daniel Daigle (F/W); Chester F. Dassy (1st Engr.); William J. Donohue (AB); George O. Dugas (Cook); Edmund Fagen Jr. (Wiper); Vincent Fitzsimmons (AB); David L. Flynn (2nd Engr.); Willie D. Foster (Utility); Philip L. Fritts (3rd Mate); John Futch Jr. (F/W); Juan Garcia (Storekeeper); Howard E. Gay ( Chief Mate); George W. Grimm (AB); Frank D. Hayter (Bosun); William H. LaRue (AB); Harold K. Hughes Jr. (2nd Mate); Roy McLelland (Wiper); Emmett A. Massingale (OS); Manuel Moscoso (Oiler); Nicolas Mosquera (Pumpman); Robert P. Randall (AB); John H. Reid (Messman); Walter Searles (F/W); Mathias P. Solaas (Chief Engr.); Joseph A. Vena (Wiper); Burton K. Webberson (Oiler); Harry F. Westcott (Messman). The U-43 was commissioned in August of 1939, and met her fate in July of 1943 just south-west of the Azores by a Fido homing torpedo from an Avenger aircraft of the U. S. escort carrier USS Santee....all hands lost.