The Emile Miguet a 14,115 ton tanker sunk by gunfire from a German submarine.

[NEON DEON]

One of the largest Tankers in the world at the time of her sinking, The French Tanker Emile Miguet was sunk by gunfire from the Famous U-48. A type VII B U-boat with of all things an 88 mm(roughly 3.5") gun! In fact, it was U-boat ace Herbert Shultze's biggest kill of the war!

"At 18.08 hours on 12 Oct, 1939, U-48 stopped the Emile Miguet, which was straggling from the convoy KJ-2 and shelled her until 19.00 hours. The tanker was set on fire, was abandoned and sank south-southwest of Ireland. The survivors were picked up by the American merchant Black Hawk."

http://uboat.net/boats/u48.htm

[Sailor Steve]

You keep bringing this up. What exactly is your point? That ships were indeed sunk by gunfire? Of course they were. You didn't, however, link to the direct page http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/62.html which gives exactly no information. How many rounds? How much time? It only says the ship was shelled, set on fire, abandoned and sank. Most ships, if allowed to burn freely, will eventually sink, as a fire, especially a fuel fire, will eat through steel.

[Rockin Robbins]

Another pretty awesome find there Neon! Again: an hour on the surface. Wouldn't have been a good idea in Japanese controlled waters, which were swarming with hostile aircraft.

This looks like a nice good hidey spot away from Allied aircraft about 250 miles west of the Irish coast. 1939? A doable year when the British were still wondering whether they chose to participate. Ja, he was pretty safe.

Still a confirmed gun sinking of a tanker, which could be one of the most difficult of ships to sink even with torpedoes.

[AVGWarhawk]

Yes, but fire as Steve points out means many things. Explosions, men abandoning ship, fire melting steel. On good flick of a cigarette in the wrong place can sink the ship.

Now we know why there was only one lighter on the Hindenburg in the specially designed smoking room :hmm:

[Subnuts]

Since the tanker was a "straggler," there's a chance it had already hit by a torpedo, making it easier to sink afterward. Unfortunately, the article doesn't say if it was or not.

[NEON DEON]

Originally Posted by Subnuts

Since the tanker was a "straggler," there's a chance it had already hit by a torpedo, making it easier to sink afterward. Unfortunately, the article doesn't say if it was or not.

The ship was from convoy KJ-2. The only attack made on KJ-2 was the U-48.

http://www.uboat.net/ops/convoys/con...hp?convoy=KJ-2

Also Ubootwaffe shows sinking by gunfire.

http://www.ubootwaffe.net/ops/ships.cgi?boat=48;nr=5

And this from Chronology of US Navy:

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/...hron-1939.html

October 12, 1939

"German submarines attack convoys of French and British shipping; U 48 shells and sinks French motor tanker Emile Miguet (from convoy KJ 2S) at 50°15'N, 14°50'W, and later torpedoes and sinks British freighter Heronspool (convoy OB 17S) at 50°13'N, 14°48'W. U.S. merchantmen rescue the survivors: freighter Black Hawk rescues Emile Miguet's crew, passenger liner President Harding rescues Heronspool's."