Ships hit by U-boats


Maid of Orleans

British Landing Ship Infantry



NameMaid of Orleans
Type:Landing Ship Infantry (LSI)
Tonnage2,385 tons
Completed1918 - William Denny & Brothers Ltd, Dumbarton 
OwnerSouthern Railway Co, London 
HomeportLondon 
Date of attack28 Jun 1944Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by unknown
Position50° 06'N, 0° 41'W - Grid BF 3278
Complement98 (6 dead and 92 survivors).
ConvoyFXP-18
RouteNormandy - Portsmouth 
CargoBallast 
History Laid down as cross channel ferry for South Eastern & Chatham Railway Co, London. Requisitioned by the Admiralty as troop transport and completed in August 1918. 1919 returned to the owners. 1923 transferred to Southern Railway Co, London. 1939 requisitioned again and used as troop transport for the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and in the evacuations of Rotterdam and Dunkirk. On 1 Jun 1940, the Maid of Orleans was returning from her sixth voyage to Dunkirk (having rescued over 5000 men) when badly damaged in a collision with HMS Worcester (D 96) (Cdr J.H. Allison, RN) which was returning from Dunkirk after being badly damaged by German bombers. 1942/43 converted to a Landing Ship Infantry LSI(H) and took part in the Normandy landings. 
Notes on event

At 21.30 hours on 28 June 1944, Maid of Orleans (Master Herbert L. Payne) in convoy FXP-18 was damaged by an explosion and sank after 30 minutes southeast of St. CatherineĀ“s Point, Isle of Wight. The ship had brought troops to the Normandy beachheads and was on her return trip. Five crew members were lost. The master, 72 crew members, 18 gunners and two passengers (Observer Corps personnel) were picked up by HMS Hotham (K 583) (A/LtCdr S. Ayles, RNR), HMS Eglinton (L 87) (LtCdr F.M. Graves, RN) and the British tug Empire Roger and landed at Portsmouth, where one crew member died of injuries in a hospital.

 
Revisions October 2015 by Rainer Kolbicz:
The discovery of the wreck of U-988 showed that it could not have been responsible for the sinking of Maid of Orleans. It is presently not known which U-boat carried out the attack. 
On boardWe have details of 7 people who were on board


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