Having actually gone " Missing " on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until April 5, 1944.

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Ignatius served as a Fireman Second Class, U.S.S. Atik (AK-101), U.S. Navy during World War II.

He resided in North Dakota prior to the war and enlisted in the Navy on December 11, 1940 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Prior to serving on the " Atik " he also served on the U.S.S. Wyoming (BB-32) and the U.S.S. Augusta (CA-31) in 1941 and the U.S.S. Nashville (CL-43) in 1942 from where he was transferred to the " Atik ".

Sometime shortly after March 5, 1942 and before March 23, 1942 Ignatius and his brother John were assigned to the " U.S.S. Atik ( AK-101 ) ". It was the first time that they both served on the same ship together.

The main mission of the " U.S.S. Atik ( AK-101 ) ", which was disguised as a " cargo tramp ship ", was to lure some unsuspecting German U-boat into making a torpedo attack.

According to the mission scenario, the submarine, after firing one torpedo, would deem the " cargo tramp ship " unworthy of the expenditure of more torpedoes and then would surface to sink the crippled foe with gunfire. It was at that point that the " Atik " would open fire on the unsuspecting submarine and hopefully destroy it.

The " U.S.S. Atik ( AK-101 ) " sailed from Portsmouth, New Hampshire on March 23, 1942 commanded by CDR Harry Lynnwood Hicks on their first mission in the Atlantic .....

The " Atik ", at 02.37 hours on March 27, 1942, was hit on the port side ahead of the bridge by one G7e torpedo fired from " German submarine U-123 " about 300 miles east of Norfolk. The " Atik " sent out a distress signal ....

The ship caught fire where it was hit and settled by the bow with a list to port. When the U-boat commander Hardegen, after surfacing, observed how the crew was abandoning ship on the starboard side he went closer to finish off the vessel. The " U.S.S. Atik ( AK-101 ) " then dropped her concealment and opened fire from all weapons including depth charge projectors.

The U-boat immediately ran off at utmost speed and was only hit on her bridge by .50 cal fire which fatally wounded one of the U-Boat's crew. " U-123 " dived when out of range and then approached the " Atik " which did not sink due to her floating cargo.

The" Atik " was then hit by a second torpedo in the engine room and the ship settled by the bow until the screw was out of the water.

At 05.50 hours, the " U.S.S. Atik ( AK-101 ) " was gone after several heavy detonations. More than likely the fire had ignited the ammunition aboard and the depth charges went off when the ship sank !

After receiving the " Atik's " distress signals the U.S.S. Noa (DD - 343), U.S.S. Sagamore (AT - 20), the " Atik's " sister ship the U.S.S. Asterion (AK - 100) and several aircraft conducted a fruitless search for survivors the next few days.

The only signs found were debris and five empty rafts sighted by aircraft at 34°52N/69°58W on 30 March.

Of the 141 crew members aboard the " U.S.S. Atik ( AK-101 ) " the entire crew, including their Commander, lost their lives either in the explosion when the ship sank or during a gale that hit the area shortly afterwards.

Ignatius was declared " Missing In Action " in this sinking during the war.

He was awarded the Purple Heart.

Service # 3288114

Brother of :
F1c John Patrick O'Donnell
who served an died with him on the " U.S.S. Atik ( AK-101 ) ".

The " U.S.S. Atik ( AK-101 ) " received " One Battle Star " for her World War II service !

( Bio by: Russ Pickett )

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Special thanks to: " kateb "
for submitting this record for bio updates !

Visit the virtual cemetery of U.S.S. Atik Crew :
" Click Here "

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