Kalliopi
Greek Steam merchant
Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart
| Name | Kalliopi | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 4,965 tons | ||
| Completed | 1910 - Northumberland Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Howden-on-Tyne | ||
| Owner | Diamantis J. Pateras & Sons, Chios | ||
| Homeport | Chios | ||
| Date of attack | 7 Feb 1943 | Nationality:  Greek | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-402 (Siegfried Freiherr von Forstner) | ||
| Position | 55° 27'N, 26° 08'W - Grid AL 4418 | ||
| Complement | 36 (4 dead and 32 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | SC-118 | ||
| Route | St. John, New Brunswick - Halifax - London | ||
| Cargo | 6500 tons of steel and lumber | ||
| History | Completed in January 1910 as Austro-Hungarian Himalaia for Himalaia SS Co (D. Tripcovich), Trieste. In August 1914 laid up at New York. In April 1917 seized by the US government and renamed Kermanshah for Kerr Navigation Co, New York. From August 1918 to March 1919 commissioned in the US Navy as cargo transport USS Kermanshah (ID # 1473). 1922 returned to Hungary and renamed Oceana for Oceana Sea Navigation Co Ltd, Budapest. 1927 sold to Greece and renamed Nymphe for P. & G. Lykiardopulo. 1928 renamed Kalliopi for Diamantis J. Pateras & Sons, Chios. | ||
| Notes on event | At 07.35 hours on 7 Feb 1943 the Kalliopi (Master Nicolas Ponticos) in station #44 of convoy SC-118 was hit on the starboard side just aft of amidships by one torpedo from U-402 in poor visibility due to rain and haze about 600 miles south-southwest of Iceland. The explosion raised all hatches and ruptured the side plates, causing the ship to settle aft with a list to port. The 34 crew members and two gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in and four machine guns) almost immediately abandoned ship in lifeboats, but two crew members and one gunner were lost. The ship sank by the stern about 25 minutes after the attack. The survivors were picked up after about one hour by USCGC Bibb (WPG 31) which was returning to convoy after rescuing more than 200 survivors from Henry R. Mallory. | ||
| On board | We have details of 36 people who were on board. | ||
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