Ships hit by U-boats


Avila Star

British Steam passenger ship



Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart

NameAvila Star
Type:Steam passenger ship
Tonnage14,443 tons
Completed1927 - John Brown & Co Ltd, Clydebank 
OwnerBlue Star Line Ltd, London 
HomeportLondon 
Date of attack6 Jul 1942Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-201 (Adalbert Schnee)
Position38° 04'N, 22° 48'W - Grid CF 4953
Complement196 (59 dead and 137 survivors).
Convoy
RouteBuenos Aires - Freetown (28 Jun) - Liverpool 
Cargo5659 tons of frozen meat 
History Completed in March 1927 as Avila 1929 renamed Avila Star. 1935 lengthened. 
Notes on event

At 00.36 hours on 6 July 1942 the unescorted Avila Star (Master John Fisher) was hit on the starboard side by two G7e torpedoes from U-201 90 miles east of San Miguel, Azores. The ship had been chased since 5 hours and only sank capsizing to starboard one hour after being hit amidships by a coup de grâce at 00.58 hours. A first coup de grâce fired at 00.54 hours had been a dud. The master, nine crew members, one gunner and eleven passengers were lost, most of them died when the third torpedo detonated beneath a lifeboat that was being lowered. 20 crew members and three passengers went missing in a lifeboat that was never found. 96 crew members, five gunners and eleven passengers were picked up from three lifeboats on 7/8 July by the Portuguese destroyer Lima (D 333) (Rodriguez) and taken to Ponta Delgada, Azores where one crew member died in a hospital. Another lifeboat with 34 crew members and five passengers was not located until 25 July, after eight crew members and two passengers died of wounds or exposure. The 29 survivors were picked up by the Portuguese sloop Pedro Nunes (A 528) which was searching for the boat since it had been spotted by Portuguese aircraft two days earlier and landed them at Lisbon the next day, but one crew member died aboard shortly after being rescued and two others after reaching a hospital in Lisbon.

 
More infoMore on this vessel 
On boardWe have details of 72 people who were on board


If you can help us with any additional information on this vessel then please contact us.

Return to Allied Ships hit by U-boats