Ships hit by U-boats


Pelayo

British Motor merchant



NamePelayo
Type:Motor merchant
Tonnage1,346 tons
Completed1927 - Harland & Wolff Ltd, Govan, Glasgow 
OwnerMacAndrews & Co Ltd, London 
HomeportLiverpool 
Date of attack15 Jun 1942Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-552 (Erich Topp)
Position43° 18'N, 17° 38'W - Grid BE 8839
Complement45 (18 dead and 27 survivors).
ConvoyHG-84
RouteGibraltar (10 Jun) - Swansea 
Cargo755 tons of government stores and scrap iron 
History Completed in December 1927 
Notes on event

At 00.58 hours on 15 June 1942, U-552 fired a spread of two torpedoes at two overlapping freighters in convoy HG-84 about 400 miles west of Corunna, Spain. The Etrib in station #61 and the Pelayo in station #41 sank after being hit by one torpedo each.

The Pelayo (Master Robert Hughes Williams) was the ship of convoy commodore Captain H.T. Hudson, Rtd, RNR. The commodore, eleven crew members, three gunners and three naval staff members were lost. The master, 21 crew members, two gunners and three naval staff members were picked up by the British rescue ship Copeland (Master J. McKellar, OBE) and landed at Gourock on 20 June.

 
On boardWe have details of 19 people who were on board


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