Silvermaple
Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart
| Name | Silvermaple | ||
| Type: | Motor merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 5.313 tons | ||
| Completed | 1927 - Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd, Sunderland | ||
| Owner | Silver Line Ltd (Stanley & John Thompson Ltd), London | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 26 Feb, 1944 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-66 (Gerhard Seehausen) | ||
| Position | 04.44N, 03.20W - Grid EV 7154 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 64 (7 dead and 57 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | STL-12 | ||
| Route | Bathurst - Freetown - Takoradi | ||
| Cargo | 5395 tons of general cargo and mail | ||
| History | At 15.10 hours on 23 Apr, 1943, U-306 (Trotha) fired a spread of four torpedoes at the convoy HX-234 southwest of Iceland and heard two detonations. The Silvermaple en route from Matadi to Liverpool via Halifax with general cargo and military stores was hit in 59°05N/35°40W, but managed to reach port safely without casualties among her crew of 55 men and was repaired. | ||
| Notes on loss | On 26 Feb, 1944, U-66 attacked the convoy STL-12 about 130 miles west of Takoradi and reported one ship sunk and another damaged. However, the only ship hit and sunk was the Silvermaple (Master William Candlish Brydson). The master, five crew members and one gunner were lost. 47 crew members, nine gunners and one passenger were picked up by HMS Kildwick (Z 06) (Lt P. Pannell) and landed at Takoradi on 27 February. | ||
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