MAILBOAT NAME: Ival
PAST NAMES: not known
DIMENSIONS: 22 tons, Official # 159982
CONSTRUCTION: wood
YEAR BUILT: 1938, at Andros
EARLY CAREER: Always owned and operated by Capt. Rupert E. Bowleg of Nicolls Town, Andros BAHAMAS CAREER: traded on charter to third parties within the Bahamas and at least as far as Cuba, probably the US
OWNERS: Capt. Rupert E. Bowleg
BAHAMIAN SCHOONER RESCUES SURVIVORS: Mr. Wilfred Toote told the Tribune Yesterday (13 May 1942) how the Bahamian schooner “IVAL” (Captain Rupert Bowleg Jr.) rescued 25 seamen immediately after the torpedoing of an American freighter off the Cuban coast recently. The “IVAL” was in Gibara Harbour when the attack occurred only five miles outside the port. The ship was torpedoed and then shelled and the explosions could be clearly heard along the shore. The “IVAL” with Cuban naval officers on board, put out in a (unclear) mile breeze and guided by the (smoke?) picked up twenty-five men in the choppy sea.
“When the men saw the Union Jack,” Mr. Toote said, “they stood on the raft and cheered.” Five of the 35 crew members were killed in the explosions, and the remaining five were rescued by another vessel which put out at the same time as the “IVAL”. The “IVAL” on which Mr. Toote was Super-cargo, returned to Nassau yesterday (13 May) from a trip to Haiti and Cuba. She was chartered for the voyages by Mr. Reginald Christie, who was also on board.” Source: Page 1, left column, Nassau Tribune, Thursday 14 May 1942. Blogger Maximo Alvarez Gomez of Cuba contributes that The names of some of the Cuban crew were aboard of the “Ival” were: -Simón Enríquez -Ciso Hernández -Ángel Rodríguez -Jimmy Fernández Baquiri
Federal – see Ival from Nassau re: rescue As the first Allied U-Boat casualty (of many) in the Old Bahama Channel the sinking of the Federal can be rendered in the succinct prose of U-Boat.net which (along with attack reports and survivor statements retrieved from Archives and books) forms the basis of much of this research: On 30 Apr, 1942, the unescorted and unarmed Federal (Master Walter Furst) proceeded on a zigzag course at 8 knots for Cuba to obtain a cargo of molasses, when a lookout spotted U-507 three miles away on the horizon.
The tanker changed course for land and the U-boat submerged. At 18.10 hours, U-507 surfaced about 450 yards away and began shelling the ship about five miles north of Gibara, Cuba. The first shell went through the quarters of the crew, killing the chief cook and wounding the third mate. After approximately 30 rounds at the rate of three to four rounds per minute the crew of eight officers and 25 men abandoned ship in one lifeboat and two rafts. The shellfire had destroyed the #3 and #4 lifeboat and made it impossible to launch the #2 boat. U-507 approached the tanker close to the port side and put more than 100 rounds into her.
The wooden bridge was set on fire and three men were killed. The Federal settled on even keel, then listed to port, capsized and sank stern first an hour after the first shot was fired. A US Navy aircraft arrived at the scene one hour after the ship sank, followed by a second aircraft 20 minutes later. They unsuccessfully searched for the U-boat and other survivors.
At 21.15 hours, the US Army transport Yarmouth circled the survivors several times and steamed away, due the danger of being torpedoed. Here is a tale of Bahamian heroism as recounted on the front page of the Nassau Tribune, Thursday 14 May 1942, entitled “Bahamian Schooner Rescues Survivors”: Mr. Wilfred Toote told the Tribune Yesterday (13 May) how the Bahamian schooner “IVAL” (Captain Rupert Bowleg Jr.) rescued 25 seamen immediately after the torpedoing of an American freighter off the Cuban coast recently. The “IVAL” was in Gibara Harbour when the attack occurred only five miles outside the port. The ship was torpedoed and then shelled and the explosions could be clearly heard along the shore.
The “IVAL” with Cuban naval officers on board, put out in a (unclear) mile breeze and guided by the (smoke?) picked up twenty-five men in the choppy sea. “When the men saw the Union Jack,” Mr. Toote said, “they stood on the raft and cheered.” Five of the 35 crew members were killed in the explosions, and the remaining five were rescued by another vessel which put out at the same time as the “IVAL”. The “IVAL” on which Mr. Toote was Super-cargo, returned to Nassau yesterday (13 May) from a trip to Haiti and Cuba. She was chartered for the voyages by Mr. Reginald Christie, who was also on board.”
There is a slim chance that the ship the IVAL came to the rescue of was not the FEDERAL but I doubt it since the named ship was American flagged, it cites the Cuban port of Gibara Cuba specifically (Federal was en route from Tampa Florida to Banes Cuba to load molasses), and the timing matches – the article was written within 2 weeks of 14 May 1942 (the FEDERAL was attacked 30 April) – and the IVAL had to complete her charter before returning to Nassau. One possible hitch is that the numbers of the crew are roughly correct – 5 were killed and over 25 rescued.
It would seem that the IVAL rescued the 15 men from the 2 rafts and must have lead the 14 other men in the boat to the port (per Uboat.net). Perhaps in his enthusiasm the skipper / super cargo on the IVAL over counted those rescued as 25 – also there would have been several Cuban officers / naval people on board as well.