Wreck of USS SC-709

Canada / Nova Scotia / Louisbourg /
 Second World War 1939-1945, military, shipwreck, United States Navy
Laid down at the Elizabeth City Shipyard in Elizabeth City, NC on June 10th, 1942, USS SC-709 was a SC-497 Class Submarine Chaser which commissioned into US Navy service on November 16th, 1942.

Tasked with escorting vital merchant ship convoys along the U-Boat filled Eastern coast of America and Canada, SC-709 and her crew performed their unsung but essential duty through the height of what German U-Boat Captains called their "Second Happy Time". Likely serving with a mixed American and Canadian escort and ASW group out of Louisburg, SC-709 was on patrol during the night of Janaury 20th when she became beset in sea ice during a squall. Unable to free herself or get assistance from other vessels, SC-709 was pushed inexorably closer to the shoreline during the early morning hours of January 21st before she finally ran aground just off the shoreline.

SC-709's wooden hull was severely damaged by the accumulating pressure of the ice as the day wore on, and by the time the squall and ice floe had abated SC-709 was declared too heavily damaged to pull from the beach and was abandoned by her crew. After being salvaged of reusable items, SC-709 was left to the sea at nightfall on January 21st, 1943 and was slowly broken up by wave action.

www.navsource.org/archives/12/150709.htm
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   45°52'49"N   59°59'17"W

Comments

  • My uncle, Stanley "Bud" Bazarek of Chicago, IL was a US Navy Signalman aboard ship that fateful night during what was described as a "hundred year storm". The crews calls for help never reached the Canadian Navy and all the crew was rescued by civilian fishing boats! Bud Bazarek returned to Chicago and retired after thirty-six years as a Lieutenant on the Chicago Police Department. I can't imagine how differently life might have been for our family had he not survived that storm.
  • My Uncle Cecil Hardiman was one of the men that helped rescue some of the men off of the SC 709. He was a merchant marine aboard the Angelus loading lumber for Barbados. The crew of the Angelus saved 8 men from the SC 709 while fishermen from Louisbourg saved the rest. All the while the two recue crews did not know that each other was helping saving the lives of the men from the grounded ship. Three months later the Angelus was torpedoed and only two of the ten crew members survived. My Uncle was not one of them.. If you have anymore details of the wreck, I would love to hear about it. Doug Hardiman. my email is doughardiman09@gamail.com.
  • My father, Harry W. Luessen was the CPO onboard the USS SC-709. Due to the treacherous conditions, the Canadian Navy was unable to reach the sub chaser. He along with all of the men were rescued by the fishermen from Louisbourg in their small dory's. All the men were transferred to Sydney. One night while ice skating, he met my mother Theresa Landry. They married April 3, 1943 and settled in New Jersey. He promised her family he would bring her home to D'Ecousse, Nova Scotia every year. He kept his word. My father died January 7, 2004 and my mother died January 10, 2014. Both were buried on January 13, tens years apart. January was a special month for them. My brother, Lawrence (Larry) Luessen and I thank them for all the wonderful memories of Cape Breton and we thank the fishermen who saved his life and all others. Currently we are in Sydney NS visiting with friends. We travel to Louisbourg to view the USS SC-709 ships bell my father donated to the town of Louisbourg. Unfortunately it is missing but the fine people of Louisbourg are trying to locate it.
  • Michael, read my story below (Denise Dersch). Both were shipmates.
  • My father, Harry W. Luessen was on board as well. He later met my mother, Theresa M. Landry and Sydney and were married April 3, 1943. For many years, we returned to Cape Breton to be with family. What brave men. Is he still alive? My father died in January 2004 at the age of 82 and my die also in January 2014 at the age of 93. January was an important month for both of them.
  • Your uncle is a hero. My father, Harry W. Luessen was fortunate to be saved by the brave men of the Angelus and the local fishermen. Later my father met my mother ice skating one night in Sydney. They were married on April 3, 1943. He promised her family he would bring her home every year, and he kept his promise. My brother and I just visited Cape Breton and Louisbourg. I am sorry to say that no one in town seems to know the plight of the ship's bell that my father donated years ago. However we were able to speak with many relatives of the fishermen. I can give you lots of information about the wreck. We are still gathering more. My father was escorted to the wreck by the Harbor master years ago. It is my understanding that not much is left of her. Google Splinter Fleet, the Wooden Sub-chasers of WWII. There is an excellent article in the book about the SC-709.
  • Thank you for that information. I have written a short story about the Angelus and thinking about turning into a book. I have read the article you mentioned and it was very helpful.
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This article was last modified 13 years ago