Ships hit by U-boats


HMCS Weyburn (K 173)

Canadian Corvette



NameHMCS Weyburn (K 173)
Type:Corvette (Flower)
Tonnage925 tons
Completed1941 - Port Arthur Shipbuilding Co, Port Arthur, Ontario 
OwnerRoyal Canadian Navy 
Homeport 
Date of attack22 Feb 1943Nationality:      Canadian
 
FateSunk by U-118 (Werner Czygan)
Position35° 46'N, 6° 02'W - Grid CG 9585
Complement83 officers and men (12 dead and 71 survivors).
ConvoyMKS-8
RouteGibraltar - UK 
Cargo 
History Completed in July 1941 
Notes on event

At 11.17 hours on 22 Feb 1943, HMCS Weyburn (K 173) (A/LtCdr T.M.W. Golby, RCNR) hit a mine laid by U-118 on 1 February 4 miles west of Cape Spartel. After refueling the corvette had just reached her position in the screen of convoy MKS-8 when the explosion occured and disabled the ship. HMS Wivern (D 66) (Cdr M.D.C. Meyrick, RN), escorting the nearby convoy GUS-4, immediately went alongside and took off three officers and 28 ratings while the ship settled by the stern. The crew tried hard to remove all primers from the depth charges, but two of them detonated after the corvette sank at 11.56 hours, disabling the main and auxiliary machinery of the destroyer lying about a cable away and killing some men in the water. SubLt Bark died in the attempt to rescue the unconscious commander from the sinking vessel and one crew member from the destroyer died of wounds after being injured while helping the wounded aboard the corvette. In addition to these three men, seven ratings and a passenger were lost and another rating died aboard HMS Black Swan (U 57) (Capt T.A.C. Pakenham, RN), which had picked up 41 ratings from the corvette and 16 ratings from the destroyer between noon and 14.00 hours. Afterwards the sloop took the disabled HMS Wivern in tow until being relieved by HMS Destiny (W 115) and then landed the survivors, including 16 ambulance cases, at Gibraltar.

 
More infoMore on this vessel 
On boardWe have details of 18 people who were on board


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Media links


U-Boat Attack Logs

Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor


amazon.co.uk
(£ 38.25)

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