Ships hit by U-boats


Clearton

British Steam merchant



Photo courtesy of State Library of New South Wales

NameClearton
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage5,219 tons
Completed1919 - Richardson, Duck & Co Ltd, Stockton-on-Tees 
OwnerR. Chapman & Son, Newcastle-upon-Tyne 
HomeportNewcastle 
Date of attack1 Jul 1940Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-102 (Harro von Klot-Heydenfeldt)
Position47° 53'N, 9° 30'W - Grid BF 42
Complement34 (9 dead and 25 survivors).
ConvoySL-36
RouteRosario - Freetown (15 Jun) - Manchester 
Cargo7320 tons of cereals 
History Completed in September 1919 
Notes on event

At 11.55 hours on 1 July 1940 the Clearton (Master John Edward Elsdon) in convoy SL-36 was torpedoed and damaged by U-102 about 180 miles west of Ushant. At 13.25 hours, the now straggling vessel was again torpedoed by the U-boat and sank 042° 240 miles from Smalls. Eight crew members were lost. The master, 24 crew members and one gunner were picked up by HMS Vansittart (D 64) (LtCdr R.G.K. Knowling, RN), which had sunk U-102 shortly after the last attack and landed the survivors in Plymouth on 4 July. Four of the survivors had been seriously injured during the attack and one of them died of wounds in a hospital.

 
On boardWe have details of 10 people who were on board


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