Radchurch

The Radchurch under her former name Vid. Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart
| Name | Radchurch | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 3.701 tons | ||
| Completed | 1910 - William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland | ||
| Owner | E.R. Management Co Ltd, Cardiff | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 9 Aug, 1942 | Nationality: | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-176 (Reiner Dierksen) | ||
| Position | 56.15N, 32.00W - Grid AK 0240 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 42 (2 dead and 40 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | SC-94 (straggler) | ||
| Route | Wabana, Conception Bay - Sydney (31 Jul) - Barry | ||
| Cargo | Iron ore | ||
| History | Built as Istina, 1935 sold to Yugoslavia and renamed Vid for Brodarsko Akcionarsko Drustvo Oceania, Susak. In 1941, she was seized by Britain, transferred to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Radchurch. | ||
| Notes on loss | At 06.49 hours on 9 Aug, 1942, the Radchurch (Master John Lewin) was hit near the stack by one torpedo from U-176, broke in two and sank within 10 seconds southeast of Cape Farewell. The ship had been in convoy SC-94, but was abandoned undamaged by the crew about 15.30 hours on 8 August after the simultan attacks on the convoy by U-176 and U-379 (Kettner) in which five ships were sunk, because they believed that her ship had been torpedoed. Two crew members were lost. The master and 39 crew members were picked up by HMCS Battleford (K 165) (Lt R.J. Roberts) and landed at Greenock. | ||
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