Alva
We don't have a picture of this vessel at this time.
| Name | Alva | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 1.584 tons | ||
| Completed | 1934 - Burntisland Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Burntisland | ||
| Owner | Glen & Co Ltd, Glasgow | ||
| Homeport | Glasgow | ||
| Date of attack | 19 Aug, 1941 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-559 (Hans Heidtmann) | ||
| Position | 48.48N, 17.46W - Grid BE 2593 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 25 (0 dead and 25 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | OG-71 | ||
| Route | Glasgow - Lisbon | ||
| Cargo | 2300 tons of coal | ||
| History | | ||
| Notes on loss | At 02.08 hours on 19 Aug, 1941, U-559 fired a salvo of four torpedoes at the convoy OG-71 about 600 miles west of Ushant, observed one hit and heard one double and one single detonation. The assessment of the BdU was that two ships of 17.000 tons had been sunk and another ship of 7000 tons damaged. In fact, only the Alva (Master Cyril Spenser Palmer) was sunk in this attack. The master, nine crew members and four gunners were picked up by the Clonlara, but they were lost when this vessel was sunk by U-564 (Suhren) on 22 August. Eleven other crew members were picked up by the Empire Oak, which was sunk by the same U-boat on 22 August. The crew members from the Alva survived and were picked up by the HMS Campanula (K 18) (LtCdr R.V.E. Case DSC), transferred to the HMS Velox (D 34) (LtCdr E.G. Ropner DSC) and landed at Gibraltar on 25 August. | ||
If you can help us with any additional information on this vessel then please contact us.