World War 1 Stories & Real Battles · Pod Hour

The Sinking of SS Aztec - April 1, 1917 - [World War 1 Stories & Real War Battles]

·45 min·2 clips

A dramatized historical account of the SS Aztec — originally a commercial freighter built in Newport News, Virginia by shipping magnate Edward Hurley — which was requisitioned for the U.S. war effort in WWI and torpedoed by a German U-boat on April 1, 1917, becoming the first armed American merchant vessel sunk in the war. The episode follows the ship's construction, its crew (including Captain John Rigg and radio operator Tom O'Brien), the storm they survived mid-voyage, the U-boat attack, the desperate evacuation, and the rescue. It then examines the aftermath: how the sinking shifted American public opinion, accelerated U.S. entry into WWI, prompted adoption of the convoy system and early sonar development, and left a lasting memorial legacy.

As heard by us

A compact World War One crossing that turns shipboard duty into the main drama.

The SS Aztec follows a World War One sea crossing with a steady, practical eye. It stays close to the ship when a German U-boat appears, the distress signals go out, and the cannon, engines, and lifeboats all become part of the same uneasy scramble.

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Why you'd press play

Press play for the SS Aztec's run into a German U-boat ambush.

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