Ships hit by U-boats


King Gruffydd

British Steam merchant



Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart

NameKing Gruffydd
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage5,072 tons
Completed1919 - Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Co Ltd, Kowloon, Hong Kong 
OwnerDodd, Thomson & Co Ltd, London 
HomeportLondon 
Date of attack17 Mar 1943Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-338 (Manfred Kinzel)
Position51° 55'N, 32° 41'W - Grid AK 8599
Complement49 (24 dead and 25 survivors).
ConvoySC-122
RouteNew York (5 Mar) - Loch Ewe - Hull 
Cargo5000 tons of steel, 500 tons of tobacco and 493 tons of high explosives 
History Launched as War Trooper for The Shipping Controller, completed in December 1919 as Greek Ambatielos for N.E. Ambatielos, Argostoli. 1923 sold to Britain and renamed King Gruffydd for Dodd, Thomson & Co Ltd, London.

On 14 Sep 1939, the King Gruffydd was requisitioned by the Admiralty as Q-ship HMS Maunder (X 28). From 12 Mar 1941 until 22 Aug 1941, the vessel was used as armed merchant cruiser and then transferred to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). The ship was reverted to the steam merchant King Gruffydd and returned to the owner in December 1941. 
Notes on event

At 03.05 hours on 17 March 1943, U-338 fired a spread of two torpedoes at convoy SC-122 southeast of Cape Farewell and Kinzel thought that he had hit one ship, but in fact the Kingsbury in station #51 and the King Gruffydd in station #52 were hit and sunk. At 03.06 hours, a second spread of two torpedoes was fired, one of them struck the Alderamin in station #61, which sank later in 51°30N/34°55W. At 03.07 hours, the stern torpedo was fired, which missed the intended target, the Alderamin, but damaged the Fort Cedar Lake in station #124.

The master, 21 crew members and two gunners from the King Gruffydd (Master Hywell Griffiths) were lost. 18 crew members and seven gunners were picked up by the British rescue ship Zamalek (Master Owen Charles Morris, DSO) and landed at Gourock on 22 March.

 
On boardWe have details of 24 people who were on board


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