SS Pedernales

SS Pedernales was completed in September 1938 by Cantieri Riuniti dell'Adriatico of Monfalcone, Italy.[1] She operated as a lake tanker, sailing from Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela to the refinery at Aruba.

On the morning of 16 February 1942, U-156, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Werner Hartenstein, commenced an attack on oil tankers at anchor in San Nicolas Harbor in Aruba as part of Operation Neuland. Among other ships, Pedernales was torpedoed and damaged; it was later was beached by two tugs and abandoned.[1]

Later, the hulk was towed to the Lago Dry Dock on Aruba where she was cut into three sections. The fore and aft sections were joined together and the ship made way under her own power to Baltimore, Maryland, where she had a new midsection installed, and continued her career.[1]

After the end of World War II, the tanker continued sailing under her same name until 1957 when she was renamed Esso Pedernales. After another renaming the following year to Katendrecht, she was scrapped at Rotterdam in 1959.[1]

The damaged middle section of Pedernales was towed away from the dry dock and was used for many years as a target by Dutch Navy aircraft. The bombing practice scattered the remnants of the wreck into eight sections of wreckage. Portions of the wreck are a popular scuba diving attraction. The three largest sections of the wreck are used daily by local dive operators. The remnants rest in 25 feet (7.6 m) of water at 12.57889°N 070.05833°W / 12.57889; -070.05833.