Geo. W. McKnight
British Motor tanker
| Name | Geo. W. McKnight | ||
| Type: | Motor tanker | ||
| Tonnage | 12,502 tons | ||
| Completed | 1933 - Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft AG, Kiel | ||
| Owner | Anglo-American Oil Co Ltd, London | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 3 May 1942 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Damaged by U-66 (Richard Zapp) | ||
| Position | 11.18N, 61.19W - Grid ED 9839 | ||
| Complement | 55 (0 dead and 55 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | ON-87 (dispersed) | ||
| Route | Avonmouth (5 Feb) - Milford Haven (7 Feb) - Belfast Lough (16 Apr) - Trinidad | ||
| Cargo | Ballast | ||
| History | Completed in January 1933 for Baltisch-Amerikanische Petroleum Import GmbH, Danzig. 1935 transferred to Panama Transport Co, Panama. 1940 transferred to Anglo-American Oil Co Ltd, London.
Post-war: 1950 renamed Esso Edinburgh for Esso Petroleum Co Ltd, London. Broken up at Blyth in July 1954. | ||
| Notes on loss | At 10.23 hours on 3 May, 1943, the Geo. W. McKnight, dispersed from convoy ON-87, was hit by the last torpedo from U-66 off Trinidad. The U-boat had chased the zig-zagging tanker since 5 hours and afterwards surfaced to attack with the deck gun. The Germans fired 3 shots and scored 2 hits from a distance of about 4000 meters, but the ten gunners aboard the ship fired back accurately with shots falling as close as 80 meters, forcing the U-boat to break off its attack. The tanker arrived in Trinidad the same day and after temporary repairs continued at the end of the month to New York for repairs, returning to service in August 1942. | ||
| Crewlists | We have listing of 4 people who were on this vessel | ||
Location of attack on Geo. W. McKnight.
ship damaged.
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