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This week's hero is...
James Jonas Madison
James J. Madison (no relation to President Madison) was born on May 20, 1898, in Jersey City, New Jersey. Early in his life, Madison decided to become a sea captain and joined the US Navy. He eventually rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve and was given command of a cargo steamship named, USS Ticonderoga.
A month later, the United States entered WWI. American cargo ships then faced the difficult task of delivering badly needed supplies across the Atlantic to France and the UK. These ships were very lightly armed and unable to effectively fend off attackers without escorts. They were especially vulnerable to attacks from German submarines (aka: U-boats). Even when they had escorts, many merchant and cargo ships were sunk or badly damaged from U-boat attacks. The Ticonderoga successfully made three trips across the Atlantic without incident. However, everything changed on September 30, 1918.
That month, the Ticonderoga departed from New York on September 29. She was carrying 237 soldiers and sailors bound for France. That night, she suffered engine trouble and fell behind the convoy. At 5 AM in the morning, she finally got underway. Twenty minutes later, her lookouts spotted a periscope in the water. It was a U-boat and the Ticonderoga was in it's gunsights.
Lt. Commander Madison quickly ordered the crew to the ship's two guns and tried to maneuver the Ticonderoga out of the U-boat's line of fire. Despite knowing that he was severely outgunned, Madison was determined to not go down without a fight. For the next hour, the two ships trades shots. But it was a losing battle. The U-boat successfully knocked out the Ticonderoga's three inch gun on the bow. The ship's remaining six inch gun was knocked out just minutes later. Even as fires raged on the Ticonderoga, Commander Madison refused to give up and even attempted to ram the U-boat.
Unfortunately the submarine successfully dived out of the way before resurfacing. With a torpedo, the U-boat scored a direct hit on the Ticonderoga's engine room. The blast killed or severely wounded nearly every man that was still fighting. By now, nearly all of the ships crew and passengers were dead. Madison knew that the Ticonderoga was doomed. He finally gave the order to abandon ship.
What remained of those onboard the ship quickly boarded a single lifeboat. Madison was too severely wounded and needed to be lowered from the ship with ropes. At 7:45 AM, the USS Ticonderoga slipped beneath the waves. Of the 237 soldiers and sailors onboard, only 24 (22 escaped in the lifeboat and 2 were captured by the U-boat) had survived. It was the greatest loss of life on any American Navy ship during World War I.
Four days later, the 22 survivors were rescued by a British freighter. James Madison was rushed to the hospital where doctors were able to save his life. From his hospital bed, he was promoted to the rank of Commander. In 1919, Madison was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroism. Sadly his wounds kept him hospitalized for the remainder of his life. He spent his last years at the US Navy hospital in Brooklyn, New York. James Jonas Madison finally passed away on December 25, 1922, at the age of 33.
https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/us-people/m/madison-james-j.html
https://bgindependentmedia.org/two-local-men-lost-lives-in-worst-u-s-navy-loss-in-wwi/
https://www.cleveland.com/news/erry-2018/09/0212860d37783/son-recalls-fathers-gripping-e.html
https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/m/madison-iii.html
http://www.gendisasters.com/ship-disasters/2832/u.s.s.-ticonderoga-sinking%2C-sept-1918
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