Samos
Greek Steam merchant
Name | Samos | ||
Type: | Steam merchant | ||
Tonnage | 1,208 tons | ||
Completed | 1889 - Earleās Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Hull | ||
Owner | D. Inglessi Fils SA, Samos | ||
Homeport | Samos | ||
Date of attack | 17 Oct 1941 | Nationality: Greek | |
Fate | Sunk by U-97 (Udo Heilmann) | ||
Position | 31° 14'N, 28° 50'E - Grid CP 7189 | ||
Complement | 34 (31 dead and 3 survivors). | ||
Convoy | Cultivate | ||
Route | Alexandria (16 Oct) - Marsa Matruh - Tobruk | ||
Cargo | Government stores | ||
History | Completed in January 1889 as British Oldham for Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway Co, Grimsby. 1913 sold to Greece and renamed Eleftheria for W. Morphy & Son. 1929 renamed Samos for D. Inglessi Fils SA, Samos. | ||
Notes on event | At 00.55 hours on 17 Oct 1941, U-97 spotted a small convoy, consisting of the Samos and Pass of Balmaha under escort by HMS Cocker about 50 miles west of Alexandria. The ships formed the 4th convoy for Operation Cultivate, the relief of the Tobruk garrison. A first spread of three torpedoes missed at 02.17 hours, but a second spread of two torpedoes fired at 03.25 hours hit and sank the Samos. The second merchant was sunk with a spread of two torpedoes at 04.00 hours. 24 crew members, three gunners and four British passengers from Samos were lost. The survivors were picked up by HMS Cocker and landed at Alexandria. | ||
On board | We have details of 25 people who were on board. |
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