Matina
British Steam merchant
Photo courtesy of State Library of New South Wales
| Name | Matina | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 5,389 tons | ||
| Completed | 1929 - Cammell Laird & Co Ltd, Birkenhead | ||
| Owner | Elders & Fyffes Ltd, London | ||
| Homeport | Liverpool | ||
| Date of attack | 29 Oct 1940 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-31 (Wilfried Prellberg) | ||
| Position | 57° 30'N, 16° 31'W - Grid AL 3880 | ||
| Complement | 71 (71 dead - no survivors) | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Port Antonio, Jamaica - Garston | ||
| Cargo | 1500 tons of bananas | ||
| History | Completed in March 1929 | ||
| Notes on event | At 04.32 hours on 26 Oct 1940 the unescorted Matina (Master David Alexander Jack) was hit in the stern by one torpedo from U-28 (Kuhnke) about 100 miles west of Rockall, after the ship had been missed by a first torpedo at 21.50 hours the day before. The U-boat then surfaced and fired 28 rounds with her deck gun, achieved 15 hits and left the vessel in a sinking condition. At 22.00 hours on 29 October, U-31 reported the sinking of a drifting wreck by a coup de grâce, this must have been the Matina. The first U-boat had observed that some survivors abandoned ship in lifeboats, but they were never seen again. The master, 67 crew members, two gunners and one passenger were lost. | ||
| On board | We have details of 71 people who were on board. | ||
Attack entries for Matina
| Date | U-boat | Commander | Loss type | Tons | Nat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Oct 1940 | U-28 | Kptlt. Günter Kuhnke | Damaged | 5,389 | |
| 29 Oct 1940 | U-31 | Kptlt. Wilfried Prellberg | Sunk | 5,389 | |
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