Originally built as the steam tanker " G. Harrison Smith " by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp., Sparrow's Point, Maryland in 1921, it was renamed the " Charles G. Black " when it was purchased by the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey & New York in 1926.   In 1940 the Standard Oil Company converted the ship to an ore carrier and renamed the ship the " S.S. Venore "!

     On January 24, 1942 the unescorted & unarmed " S.S. Venore " was enroute from Cruz Grande, Chile to Baltimore, Maryland with a cargo of 8,000 tons of iron ore.   They were hit by one torpedo fired by " German U-66 " about 20 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.   The torpedo struck the " S.S. Venore " amidships forward of the boiler room and set her on fire.   The crew started to do their best to fight the fires as the Master/Captain Fritz Duurloo tried to escape by zigzagging at high speed.   Then, about 45 minutes later, a second torpedo, also believed to be from U-66, hit the ship on the port side at the #9 hold and the remaining crew abandoned ship.   The master, one officer and 15 crewmen were lost in this sinking.   24 members of the crew survived.

" Historical Note: "
     German U-Boat U-66 damaged " 2 " merchant ships and " 2 " warships, and also sank " 33 " ships during World War II.   German U-Boat U-66 was finally also sank on May 6, 1944 in the Atlantic Ocean west of the Cape Verde Islands by the U.S.S. Block Island (CVE-21) by depth charges, gunfire and also being rammed by a Grumman TBF Avenger and a Grumman Wildcat/Martlet who served on the U.S.S. Block Island with VC-55.

The ship Master/Captain of the S.S. Venore was:

Fritz Duurloo

who went down with his ship !

     The following below list was created in the memory of those who "Gave Their All" on the S.S. Venore.   There are personal "online memorials" for each of these honored men that were created for them by using the "Find A Grave" website.   You will see a blue " Yes " behind their names and by clicking on the " Yes " you will see a personal memorial that has been created for them by myself or someone else.

Key to Abbreviations and Notes

MM     =  Awarded the " Mariner's Medal " !
                   ( Awarded to the Merchant Mariner's for being Wounded, Missing or Killed In Action )

MM *  =  Awarded the " Combat Bar / Ribbon " !
                  ( Awarded to Mariner's who have been under combat conditions )

MM **  =  Awarded the " Combat Star " ( attached to the Combat Bar )
                   ( Awarded to Mariner's who are forced to abandon ship when attacked or damaged )

MM-DSM  =  Awarded the Mariner's " Distinguished Service Medal " !
                         ( Awarded for " Heroism Beyond the Call of Duty " )

MM-POW  =  Awarded the Mariner's " Prisoner Of War Medal " !
                         ( Awarded to Mariner's who served time as a POW " )

PH  =  Awarded the " Purple Heart " !
              ( Awarded to U.S. Military Soldiers & Sailors for being Wounded and/or Killed in action )

Other Medals
              Such as Good Conduct Medals, Campaign Medals, Defense Service Medals, etc.,
              " Are Not " included in this listing.

  =  Picture of person shown on online memorial

  =  Picture of tombstone shown on online memorial

" Family Link Included " = Parent, Spouse, or Child linked in " Online Memorial ".

Cenotaph  =  A memorial stone only  ~  " OR "  ~  Remains not recovered  ~  " OR "  ~  Interred somewhere unknown.

( www.usmm.org/medals.html )        

Last Name, First Name, M.I.             Awards ~ Place Of Passing ~Photos	Military Rank	Branch of Service	State / Country Cause of Death Date Of Passing	Cemetery / Memorial	For Online Memorial Click on " Yes "
Aikens,  Cortland Verdel           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ N/A	Messman	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Pennsylvania Missing In Action January 24, 1942	Cemetery / Memorial " Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Batulis,  Stanley James           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ N/A           " Family Link Included "	Bosun	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Pennsylvania Missing In Action January 24, 1942	Cemetery / Memorial " Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph
Brand,  Cornelius J.           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ N/A	Oiler	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Holland Missing In Action January 24, 1942	Cemetery / Memorial " Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph
Brown,  Frank Summer           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ N/A	Messman	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Pennsylvania Missing In Action January 24, 1942	Cemetery / Memorial " Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Chisholm,  Elmo Bernard           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ N/A	Messman	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Georgia Missing In Action January 24, 1942	Cemetery / Memorial " Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Davis,  William Lee           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ N/A	Wiper	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Maryland Missing In Action January 24, 1942	Maryland National WW II Memorial Annapolis, MD	" Yes " Cenotaph
Duurloo,  Fritz           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ N/A	Master / Captain	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	New York Missing In Action January 24, 1942	Cemetery / Memorial " Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Figueras,  Claudio           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ N/A	Deck Engineer	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Maryland Missing In Action January 24, 1942	Maryland National WW II Memorial Annapolis, MD	" Yes " Cenotaph
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Gardiner,  Lorenzo A.           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ N/A	Steward	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Louisiana Missing In Action January 24, 1942	Cemetery / Memorial " Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Johnson,  William           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ N/A	Able-Bodied Seaman	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Texas Missing In Action January 24, 1942	Cemetery / Memorial " Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mahoney,  John E.           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ N/A	Ordinary Seaman	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Maryland Missing In Action January 24, 1942	Maryland National WW II Memorial Annapolis, MD	" Yes " Cenotaph
Minzey,  Vernon W.           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ N/A	Radio Officer	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Alabama Missing In Action January 24, 1942	Cemetery / Memorial " Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nevette,  St. Julian E.           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ N/A	Messman	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	South Carolina Missing In Action January 24, 1942	Cemetery / Memorial " Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph
Newton,  Charles H.           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ N/A	Third Assistant Engineer	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Maine Missing In Action January 24, 1942	Cemetery / Memorial " Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Roby,  George C.           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ N/A	Wiper	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Illinois Missing In Action January 24, 1942	Cemetery / Memorial " Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Toom,  Alexander           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ N/A	Oiler	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Estonia Missing In Action January 24, 1942	Cemetery / Memorial " Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Williams,  Edward C.           MM ** ~ Off North Carolina ~ N/A	Wiper	" Ship's Crew " Merchant Marine	Maine Missing In Action January 24, 1942	Cemetery / Memorial " Not Found "	" Yes " Cenotaph