Mokambo
Belgian Motor merchant
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| Name | Mokambo | ||
| Type: | Motor merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 4,996 tons | ||
| Completed | 1938 - Flensburger Schiffsbau-Ges., Flensburg | ||
| Owner | Compagnie Maritime Belge (Lloyd Royal) SA, Antwerp | ||
| Homeport | Antwerp | ||
| Date of attack | 1 May 1943 | Nationality:  Belgian | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-515 (Werner Henke) | ||
| Position | 7° 58'N, 14° 14'W - Grid ET 6128 | ||
| Complement | 57 (0 dead and 57 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | TS-37 | ||
| Route | Matadi - Takoradi (26 Apr) - Freetown - Liverpool | ||
| Cargo | 2000 tons of cotton, 2000 tons of copper, 1520 tons of palm kernels, 1139 tons of palm oil, 440 tons of copal and 38 tons of wolframite | ||
| History | Launched as Norwegian Fernplant for Fearnley & Eger, Oslo, completed in December 1938 as Belgian Mokambo for Compagnie Maritime Belge (Lloyd Royal) SA, Antwerp. On 2 Jun 1941, the Mokambo in convoy OB-329 was torpedoed and damaged by U-147 (Wetjen) in 56°38N/10°24W. The U-boat was sunk after the attack by the convoy escorts. The ship had been en route from Liverpool for Freetown and Matadi with general cargo. No casualties among the 43 crew members and four gunners aboard. She was taken in tow for the Clyde, arriving on 4 June, was repaired and returned to service in August 1941. | ||
| Notes on event | At 05.40 hours on 1 May 1943, U-515 attacked convoy TS-37 for a second time about 75 miles southwest of Freetown and fired three single torpedoes. The first hit the City of Singapore after 1 minute 8 seconds in the stern and the ship was observed to burn fiercely before she sank. The second torpedo hit the Mokambo after 1 minute 5 seconds and set her on fire. The third torpedo hit after 35 seconds the Clan Macpherson, which began to sink by the stern. The Mokambo (Master E. Huys) was badly damaged, but remained afloat. The ship was towed to Freetown roads by the tugs HMS Aimwell (W 113) and HMS Oriana (W 117), but capsized on 2 May and sank. Two men were injured of the crew of 51 (27 Belgians, 16 Congolesians and 8 British) and six gunners. | ||
| On board | We have details of 73 people who were on board. | ||
Attack entries for Mokambo
| Date | U-boat | Commander | Loss type | Tons | Nat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Jun 1941 | U-147 | Oblt. Eberhard Wetjen | Damaged | 4,996 | |
| 1 May 1943 | U-515 | Kptlt. Werner Henke | Sunk | 4,996 | |
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