HMS Maid of Orleans
| Name | HMS Maid of Orleans | ||
| Type: | Landing Ship Infantry (LSI) | ||
| Tonnage | 2,385 tons | ||
| Completed | 1918 - William Denny & Brothers Ltd, Dumbarton | ||
| Owner | Southern Railway Co, London | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 28 Jun 1944 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-988 (Erich Dobberstein) | ||
| Position | 50.06N, 00.41W - Grid BF 3278 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 98 (5 dead and 93 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | FXP-18 | ||
| Route | Normandy - Portsmouth | ||
| Cargo | Ballast | ||
| History | Laid down as cross channel ferry for South Eastern & Chatham Railway Co, London. Requisitioned by the Admiralty as troop transport and completed in August 1918. 1919 returned to the owners. 1923 transferred to Southern Railway Co, London. 1939 requisitioned again and used as troop transport for the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and in the evacuations of Rotterdam and Dunkirk. On 1 Jun, 1940, the Maid of Orleans was returning from her sixth voyage to Dunkirk (having rescued over 5000 men) when badly damaged in a collision with HMS Worcester (D 96) (Cdr J.H. Allison, RN) which was returning from Dunkirk after being badly damaged by German bombers. 1942/43 converted to the Landing Ship Infantry LSI(H) HMS Maid of Orleans and took part in the Normandy landings. | ||
| Notes on loss | At 21.30 hours on 28 Jun, 1944, HMS Maid of Orleans (Master Herbert L. Payne) in convoy FXP-18 was torpedoed by U-988 and sank after 30 minutes southeast of St. Catherine´s Point, Isle of Wight. The ship had brought troops to the Normandy beachheads and was on her return trip. Five crew members were lost. The master, 72 crew members, 18 gunners and two passengers (Observer Corps personnel) were picked up by HMS Hotham (K 583) (A/LtCdr S. Ayles, RNR), HMS Eglinton (L 87) (LtCdr F.M. Graves, RN) and the British tug Empire Roger and landed at Portsmouth. | ||
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