U-853 and crew.
During World War II, Lightship-112 was withdrawn from lightship duty, painted battleship gray, re-designated as USS Nantucket and served as an examination patrol vessel off of Portland, Maine. On 23 April 1945, she saved crewmembers of the USS Eagle-56, which was torpedoed and sunk off Portland by the German U-Boat U-853. After sinking another U.S. merchant ship off Port Judith, Rhode Island, the following month, U-853 was tracked down and sunk by the U.S. Navy in Rhode Island waters, where she lies submerged to this day.
Incidentally, Lightship-112 was not on station on 25 July 1956 when the ill-fated Andrea Doria passed within one mile of the usual Nantucket position. Lightship-112 had been temporarily relieved by Lightship-114 on that day.
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