In 1941, the USS Reuben James became the first American ship sunk in World War II
The sinking of the USS Reuben James in 1941 marked a tragic turning point for the United States, as it became the first American naval vessel lost to enemy action in World War II.
On October 31, 1941, an American destroyer was escorting a convoy near Iceland when a German U-boat fired a torpedo into its hull. The USS Reuben James sank rapidly, claiming the lives of 115 sailors. This attack occurred five weeks before the United States officially entered the war following Pearl Harbor.
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