Devis
Photo courtesy of the Allen Collection
| Name | Devis | ||
| Type: | Motor merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 6.054 tons | ||
| Completed | 1938 - Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast | ||
| Owner | Lamport & Holt Ltd, Liverpool | ||
| Homeport | Liverpool | ||
| Date of attack | 5 Jul, 1943 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-593 (Gerd Kelbling) | ||
| Position | 37.01N, 04.10E - Grid CH 9544 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 343 (52 dead and 291 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | KMS-18B | ||
| Route | Clyde (24 Jun) - Sicily | ||
| Cargo | 4000 tons of government stores and a deck cargo of two landing craft | ||
| History | Completed in February 1938. During the war specially modified as an Assault Command Ship. | ||
| Notes on loss | At 15.43 hours on 5 Jul, 1943, U-593 fired two spreads of two torpedoes at the convoy KMS-18B northeast of Cap Bengut and heard a hit after 1 minute 20 seconds and sinking noises. The torpedo hit the Devis (Master Walter Denson), the ship of the convoy commodore. She had 289 Canadian troops and two British landing crafts (LCTs) on board for the Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. 52 soldiers were lost. One of the LCTs sank with the ship, the other was damaged but remained afloat. The master, the convoy commodore (Rear Admiral H.T. England, RN), six naval staff members, 38 crew members, eight gunners and 237 soldiers were picked up by HMS Cleveland (L 46) (Lt J.K. Hamilton, RN) and landed at Bougie. | ||
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