Ships hit by U-boats


Irish Oak

Irish Steam merchant



NameIrish Oak
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage5,589 tons
Completed1919 - South Western Shipbuilding Co, San Pedro CA 
OwnerIrish Shipping Ltd, Dublin 
HomeportDublin 
Date of attack15 May 1943Nationality:      Irish
 
FateSunk by U-607 (Wolf Jeschonnek)
Position47° 51'N, 25° 53'W - Grid BD 6355
Complement33 (0 dead and 33 survivors).
Convoy
RouteTampa, Florida - Dublin 
Cargo8000 tons of phosphates 
History Completed in December 1919 as West Neris for US Shipping Board (USSB) and later placed in the reserve fleet. On 26 Sep 1941, sold to Ireland and renamed Irish Oak
Notes on event

At 12.19 hours on 15 May 1943, U-607 fired a spread of two G7e torpedoes at the unescorted and neutral Irish Oak (Master E. Jones) and hit her under the bridge after 2 minutes 10 seconds. After the crew had abandoned ship, she was sunk by a coup de grĂ¢ce from the stern torpedo tube at 13.31 hours. The day before the ship had been sighted and reported as neutral by U-650 (von Witzendorff), but Jeschonnek followed the Irish Oak since dawn and then decided to attack because he suspected the vessel to be a Q-ship, smoking in a very obvious manner and en route on a zigzag course at varying speeds. Later the same day, the Irish steam merchant Irish Plane rescued the survivors, one of them slightly wounded, after picking up her distress signal. The rescue operation was observed by U-336 (Hunger), which identified the ship as neutral and informed the other U-boats in the area.

 
On boardWe have details of 32 people who were on board


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