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Allied Ships hit by U-boats


HMS Eagle (94)


NameHMS Eagle (94)
Type:Aircraft carrier (Eagle)
Tonnage22.600 tons (one of the largest ships sunk).
Completed1924 - Sir W.G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co Ltd, Newcastle-upon-Tyne 
OwnerThe Admiralty 
Homeport 
Date of attack11 Aug, 1942Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-73 (Helmut Rosenbaum)
Position38.05N, 03.02E - Grid CH 9119
- See location on a map -
Complement1087 officers and men (160 dead and 927 survivors).
ConvoyWS-21S 
Route 
Cargo 
History

She was laid down in 1913 for Chile as the dreadnought battleship Almirante Cochrane but work was suspended in 1914. The Admiralty purchased the ship on the slips and finished it as an aircraft carrier.

At 05.05 hours on 14 Jun, 1942, the Italian submarine Giada (Cavallina) attacked in 37°55N/06°12E the Harpoon convoy for Malta. She fired torpedoes at HMS Eagle (94) and heard three detonations after 2 minutes 7 seconds. In fact, the carrier was not hit but it is possible that the fleet oiler Brown Ranger (3417 tons) was damaged.

Further informations available here: HMS Eagle (94)

 
Notes on loss At 13.15 hours on 11 Aug, 1942, HMS Eagle (94) (Capt L.D. Mackintosh) was sunk by four torpedoes from U-73, while escorting the convoy WS-21S (Operation Pedestal) in the Mediterranean to Malta. Two officers and 158 ratings were lost. The survivors, among them the Captain, were picked up by HMS Laforey (F 99) and HMS Lookout (G 32) and HMS Jaunty (W 30). Her wreck is located 70 miles south of Cape Salinas, Majorca, Balearic Islands. 


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