Fort Franklin
British Steam merchant
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| Name | Fort Franklin | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant (North Sands) | ||
| Tonnage | 7,135 tons | ||
| Completed | 1942 - West Coast Shipbuilders Ltd, Vancouver | ||
| Owner | Dodd, Thomson & Co Ltd, London | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 16 Jul 1943 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-181 (Wolfgang Lüth) | ||
| Position | 22° 36'S, 51° 22'E - Grid KF 9759 | ||
| Complement | 55 (5 dead and 50 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Port Said - Aden (1 Jul) - Lourenco Marques - Durban | ||
| Cargo | 1500 tons of salt as ballast | ||
| History | Completed December 1942 for US War Shipping Administration (WSA), lend-leased on bareboat charter to British Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). | ||
| Notes on event | At 15.58 hours on 16 July 1943 the unescorted Fort Franklin (Master Thomas Witney Trott) was torpedoed and sunk by U-181 southwest of Reunion. Four crew members were lost and another later died of injuries. The master, 40 crew members and nine gunners made landfall after six days at Manajara, Madagascar. | ||
| On board | We have details of 12 people who were on board. | ||
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