Ships hit by U-boats


Oituz

Romanian Steam merchant



Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart

NameOituz
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage2,686 tons
Completed1905 - AG Neptun Schiffswerft und Maschinenfabrik, Rostock 
OwnerServiciul Maritim Român, Bucharest 
HomeportConstanza 
Date of attack1 Sep 1944Nationality:      Romanian
 
FateA total loss by U-23 (Rudolf Arendt)
Position44° 10'N, 28° 40'E - Grid CL 1457
Complement? men (? dead and ? survivors).
Convoy
Route 
Cargo 
History Built as Hornsund 1920 renamed Leros 1921 renamed Oituz

The Oituz participated in several Axis convoys to the Bosporus and to the Crimea. She was slightly damaged by a Soviet submarine in December 1941 near the Turkish-Bulgarian border. Between 28 March and 10 Apr 1944, the ship took part in the evacuation of Odessa and made three voyages, evacuating a total of 2100 soldiers. In May 1944, Oituz went to Sevastopol and evacuated 700 soldiers to Constanza on 14 May. 

Notes on event

At 03.31 hours on 1 Sep 1944, U-23 fired three torpedoes into the harbour of Constanza and reported three detonations after running times of 1 minute 46 seconds. Two hits were observed at the berth of a Romanian Regele Ferdinand type destroyer and one hit on a steamer of 6000 tons. However, only the already damaged Oituz was hit by one torpedo in the stern and sank at her moorings at berth #22, while another torpedo detonated at the wall in the empty berth #23. She was later refloated and declared a total loss.

The U-boat left her attack position at 04.00 hours and laid one EMS mine in the roads near Tuzla lighthouse, but apparently without success.

 


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