Ships hit by U-boats


Fort Longueuil

British Steam merchant


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NameFort Longueuil
Type:Steam merchant (North Sands)
Tonnage7,128 tons
Completed1942 - United Shipyards Ltd, Montreal, Quebec 
OwnerJames Chambers & Co Ltd, Liverpool 
HomeportLondon 
Date of attack19 Sep 1943Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-532 (Ottoheinrich Junker)
Position10° 00'S, 68° 00'E - Grid LW 62
Complement59 (57 dead and 2 survivors).
Convoy
RouteBarry, South Wales - Alexandria - Kosseir, Egypt - Aden (9 Sep) - Fremantle, Australia 
Cargo8475 tons of phosphate 
History Completed in December 1942 for US War Shipping Administration (WSA), lend-leased on bareboat charter to British Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). 
Notes on event

On 16 July 1943 the Fort Longueuil left Barry docks with a cargo of government stores, including ammunitions and arrived safely at Alexandria on 8 August. After the cargo was discharged she sailed from there on 26 August, sailing through the Suez Canal two days later and docked at Aden on 8 September to bunker. The next day, the ship left for Australia after loading phosphate. She was due to arrive at Fremantle, Australia and then to sail to Port Kembla and Newcastle, New South Wales, but was reported missing on 15 October. By 3 November, it was known that the ship had been lost at the estimated position of 10°S/68°E.

On 19 Sep 1943 the unescorted Fort Longueuil (Master George Cardno Edward) was torpedoed by U-532 and sank immediately southwest of Chagos Archipelago. The complement consisted of 49 crew members from Britain, India and Canada and ten British gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in and five 20mm guns). Only two Indian crewmen, Thakar Miah and Mohamed Aftab, managed to survive on a raft and became Japanese prisoners on 1 Feb 1944, when the raft drifted ashore on Sumatra after 134 days at sea (!).

 
On boardWe have details of 59 people who were on board


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