King Frederick
Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart
| Name | King Frederick | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 5,265 tons | ||
| Completed | 1920 - Hong Kong & Whampoa Dock Co Ltd, Kowloon, Hong Kong | ||
| Owner | Dodd, Thomson & Co Ltd, London | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 19 Jul 1944 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-181 (Kurt Freiwald) | ||
| Position | 09.29N, 71.45E - Grid MS 7974 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 56 (27 dead and 29 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Haifa - Port Said - Aden - Colombo - Calcutta | ||
| Cargo | 6600 tons of salt and mail | ||
| History | Laid down as War Sceptre for The Shipping Controller, completed in March 1920 as Greek Trialos for N.E. Ambatielos, Argostoli. 1923 sold to Britain and renamed King Frederick for Dodd, Thomson & Co Ltd, London. | ||
| Notes on loss | At 17.03 hours on 19 Jul, 1944, the unescorted King Frederick (Master Richard John Esslemont) was hit by one torpedo from U-181 in the Nine Degree Channel in the Arabian Sea. The wreck was later dispersed. 20 crew members, five gunners and two passengers (military personnel) were lost. The master, 27 crew members and one gunner abandoned ship and were questioned by the Germans. The survivors were picked up by the British Liberty ship Samshee and landed at Aden. | ||
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