The Dominican Coast Guard during WWII originally consisted of 7 launches 72x12x3 ft., one 37mm gun and 2 mgs., with a crew of 11 men for each. They helped to save British Merchant seamen from the "Mac Gregor" (26/2/1942) off Cabo Francis Viejo, while others picked up 19 survivors from M.S. "Cape of Good Hope" which had been sunk in the Atlantic in March of the same year. The Dominicans built during the war 6 three masted wooden Goletas, named "La Dominicana", "La Americana", "San Cristobal", "La Jaragua", "Dicayagua" and "La Inoa", they were built during 1942-43 at Ozama. In 1943 the U.S. handed over three 83ft. Coastguard cutters.

Dominican Merchant Shipping Losses WWII

"SAN RAFAEL", ex Mallan, Grace Line, purchased in 1938, built Germany 1910, 3,161 BRT, torpedoed and sunk by gunfire at 11.30 a.m. on 3rd May 1942, in pos., 79.10 West longitude and 18.55 North latitude, about 80 Km. Off Jamaica, en route from Tampico to Jamaica with building material for a U.S. Naval Air Base, then under construction there, two members of the crew were killed.

"PRESIDENTE TRUJILLO", ex Registan, ex Comercio, ex Presidente Machado, ex Guantanauic, built Germany 1900, 1773 BRT, purchased from Cuba in 1933, torpedoed off Fort de France, Martinique, at 12.30 p.m. on the 21st May 1942 with the loss of 24 of its crew of 39 men.

Golatas; "CARMEN", "IRMA" and "ALTA GRACIA" were also lost, but no details on these, so far. The only coaster which survived was the small steamer "JULIA"