Helenus
British Steam merchant
Photo courtesy of State Library of New South Wales
| Name | Helenus | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 7,366 tons | ||
| Completed | 1913 - Scott´s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Greenock | ||
| Owner | Alfred Holt & Co, Liverpool | ||
| Homeport | Liverpool | ||
| Date of attack | 3 Mar 1942 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-68 (Karl-Friedrich Merten) | ||
| Position | 6° 01'N, 12° 02'W - Grid ET 6685 | ||
| Complement | 91 (5 dead and 86 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Penang, Malaya - Capetown (20 Feb) - Freetown - Liverpool | ||
| Cargo | General cargo, including 4248 tons of rubber and 1350 tons of copper | ||
| History | Completed in November 1913 | ||
| Notes on event | At 17.21 hours on 3 March 1942 the unescorted Helenus (Master Philip Walter Savery) was hit by two torpedoes from U-68 and sank in a short time about 200 miles south of Freetown. Five crew members were lost. The master, 73 crew members, two gunners and ten passengers were picked up by the British steam merchant Beaconsfield and landed at Freetown on 5 March. Large parts of the cargo of rubber were later washed ashore in Takoradi. | ||
| On board | We have details of 7 people who were on board. | ||
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