July 10, 1943
Ensign Albert B McCoard, Jr. was commissioned with his Tulane Naval ROTC class in May of 1942. Ensign McCoard proceeded to assignment on the USS Maddox (DD-622). Maddox was commissioned in October, 1942 and proceeded to convoy escort duty in the Atlantic.
July 10, 1943 Maddox was on submarine patrol off Sicily during the initial Allied amphibious invasion. A single German bomber scored a hit on Maddox’s ammunition magazine. The catastrophic damage caused Maddox to roll and sink within two minutes. Less than one half of the crew survived.
Ensign McCoard was among those who did not survive.
Editor note: A new USS Maddox (DD 731) was commissioned in 1944. This Maddox is the vessel involved in the Gulf of Tonkin Incident – August 2, 1964
Reference Links:
https://laahgp.genealogyvillage.com/MilitaryIndex/wwii-casualties-navy2.html
http://www.ussmaddox.org/Lists-622.htm