San Fernando
Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart
| Name | San Fernando | ||
| Type: | Steam tanker | ||
| Tonnage | 13.056 tons | ||
| Completed | 1919 - Sir W.G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co Ltd, Newcastle-upon-Tyne | ||
| Owner | Eagle Oil & Shipping Co Ltd, London | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 21 Jun, 1940 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-47 (Günther Prien) | ||
| Position | 50.20N, 10.24W - Grid BF 1193 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 49 (0 dead and 49 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | HX-49 | ||
| Route | Curaçao - Liverpool | ||
| Cargo | 13.500 tons of crude oil and 4200 tons of fuel oil | ||
| History | | ||
| Notes on loss | At 20.07 hours on 21 Jun, 1940, U-47 fired a torpedo at a tanker in the middle of the convoy HX-49 about 50 miles south-southwest of Cape Clear and hit the San Fernando. The U-boat then fired two torpedoes at 20.08 and 20.10 hours but could not observe the results because they dived to 100 metres to avoid a steamer that was on collision course with the U-boat. Prien assumed that he had hit two 7000 tons steamers, but this is not confirmed in Allied reports. The San Fernando (Master Arthur Richard Buckley) was taken in tow by tugs but sank the next day. The master and 48 crew members were picked up by HMS Fowey (L 15) (Cdr H.B. Ellison) and HMS Sandwich (L 12) (Cdr M.J. Yeatman) and landed at Plymouth. | ||
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