Ships hit by U-boats


Nirpura

British Steam merchant



Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart

NameNirpura
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage5,961 tons
Completed1921 - W. Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool 
OwnerBritish India Steam Navigation Co Ltd, London 
HomeportGlasgow 
Date of attack3 Mar 1943Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-160 (Georg Lassen)
Position32° 47'S, 30° 48'E - Grid KZ 1336
Complement126 (38 dead and 88 survivors).
ConvoyDN-21
RouteDurban - Karachi 
Cargo39 South African Defence troops and 800 mules 
History  
Notes on event

At 23.22 hours on 3 March 1943, U-160 made her first attack on convoy DN-21 about 40 miles south of Port St.Johns, South Africa, sank the Harvey W. Scott and Nirpura and damaged the Tibia.

38 men from the Nirpura (Master Thomas George Hodgkinson) were lost and 88 (including the master) were picked up by the SAAF crash launch R-8 and landed at Durban.

 
On boardWe have details of 17 people who were on board


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