New Sevilla
British Whale factory ship
Photo courtesy of Rick Cox Collection
| Name | New Sevilla | ||
| Type: | Whale factory ship | ||
| Tonnage | 13,801 tons | ||
| Completed | 1900 - Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast | ||
| Owner | Christian Salvesen & Co, Edinburgh | ||
| Homeport | Jersey | ||
| Date of attack | 20 Sep 1940 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-138 (Wolfgang Lüth) | ||
| Position | 55° 50'N, 7° 30'W - Grid AM 5365 | ||
| Complement | 284 (2 dead and 282 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | OB-216 | ||
| Route | Liverpool - Aruba - South Georgia | ||
| Cargo | Whaling stores and ballast | ||
| History | Completed in December 1912 as steam passenger ship Runic for White Star Ltd (Oceanic Steam Navigation Co), Liverpool. 1930 converted to the whale factory ship New Sevilla for Christian Salvesen & Co, Edinburgh. | ||
| Notes on event | Between 21.20 and 21.26 hours on 20 Sep 1940, U-138 fired torpedoes at convoy OB-216 52 miles northwest of Rathlin Island and reported three ships totalling 20,000 grt sunk. The three ships sunk were New Sevilla, Boka and City of Simla. The New Sevilla (Master Richard Black Chisholm) was taken in tow, but sank the next day 9 miles from the Mull of Kintyre in 55°48N/07°22W. Two crew members were lost. The master and 22 crew members were picked up by HMS Arabis (K 73) (LtCdr B. Blewitt, RNR) and landed at Liverpool. 44 crew members were picked up by the Icelandic trawler Belgaum and later transferred to the Industria, which had already picked up 215 crew members and landed at Belfast. | ||
| On board | We have details of 10 people who were on board. | ||
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