APRIL 10, 1942 - "America's eyes were focused on Europe where the Nazi war machine was terrorizing country after country and on the Pacific, where Guam and the Philippines were taking tremendous punishment from the Japanese forces.  To the crowd at Jacksonville Beach that Friday night, the war seemed a long way away; restaurants and bars were a bustling with business.  The war however came to our backyards that night. Lieutenant Richard Hardegen, commander of the German U-Boat U-123, used those beach lights to silhouette his target, the SS Gulfamerica. At 10:24 PM, U-123 sent a torpedo into the tanker with its cargo of 90,000 barrels of fuel oil, exploded with a fiery blast.

For the SS Gulfamerica this, it’s maiden voyage would be it's last.  It would sink to the bottom to become what we know today as JAX Beach (Loran 45166.0/62001.0) wreck.  For German U-Boat U-123, it was the last kill of a successful foray along the eastern coast of the United States.  The destroyer, USS Dahlgren, caught up with the U-123 just south of St. Augustine and dropped six depth charges damaging the U-boat.   The Dahlgren’s captain abandoned the sight after seeing air bubbles breaking the surface.  U-123 however, was damaged but not dead and it crept along the ocean floor and back to it's home port in occupied France.

For the people of Jacksonville Beach, the grim reality of war hit them hard in the face.  Nineteen of the forty-eight-person crew and guardsmen of the SS Gulfamerica were lost.  The explosion had been so sudden and violent that the armed guardsmen aboard the ship were unable to respond to the attack.  The explosion woke up local officials who quickly passed bans on beach driving and lighted buildings along our coast.