Expositor
American Steam merchant
| Name | Expositor | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant (Hog Island) | ||
| Tonnage | 4,959 tons | ||
| Completed | 1919 - American International Shipbuilding Corp, Hog Island PA | ||
| Owner | American Export Lines Inc, New York | ||
| Homeport | New York | ||
| Date of attack | 23 Feb 1943 | Nationality:  American | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-303 (Karl-Franz Heine) | ||
| Position | 46° 53'N, 34° 32'W - Grid BD 4646 | ||
| Complement | 60 (7 dead and 53 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | ON-166 (straggler) | ||
| Route | Belfast - New York | ||
| Cargo | Water and slag ballast | ||
| History | Completed in March 1919 as Saucon for US Shipping Board, Philadelphia. 1928 renamed Exhibitor for Export SS Corp, New York. 1940 renamed Expositor for American Export Lines Inc, New York. | ||
| Notes on event | At 22.20 hours on 22 Feb 1943, U-606 (Döhler) attacked convoy ON-166 and torpedoed three ships, the Empire Redshank, Chattanooga City and Expositor. The U-boat was lost after the attack. The Expositor was struck by one torpedo on the port side at the #3 hatch, causing the boiler to explode. The ship took an immediate list to starboard and then righted herself after settling by the stern. Most of the eight officers, 31 men and 21 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 3in, two .50cal, two .30cal and four 20mm guns) abandoned ship in the single undamaged lifeboat and three rafts. Seven officers, 27 men and all armed guards were picked up by HMCS Trillium (K 172) (Lt P.C. Evans, RCNR). One officer died on the corvette and an engineer later in a hospital in St. Johns. Three hours after the attack, the corvette blew off the stern of the freighter with depth charges, but the ship remained afloat. At 03.31 hours on 23 February, U-303 sank the drifting wreck of the Expositor by a coup de grâce. | ||
| On board | We have details of 28 people who were on board. | ||
Attack entries for Expositor
| Date | U-boat | Commander | Loss type | Tons | Nat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Feb 1943 | U-606 | Oblt. Hans-Heinrich Döhler | Damaged | 4,959 | |
| 23 Feb 1943 | U-303 | Kptlt. Karl-Franz Heine | Sunk | 4,959 | |
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