Ships hit by U-boats


HMS Penzance (L 28)

British Sloop



HMS Penzance during a visit at New Bedford MA in July 1939. Photo courtesy of Marianne Donovan

NameHMS Penzance (L 28)
Type:Sloop (Folkestone)
Tonnage1,025 tons
Completed1931 - Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth 
OwnerThe Admiralty 
Homeport 
Date of attack24 Aug 1940Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-37 (Victor Oehrn)
Position56° 16'N, 27° 19'W - Grid AK 6333
Complement108 officers and men (90 dead and 18 survivors).
ConvoySC-1
RouteSydney - UK 
Cargo 
History Completed in January 1931 
Notes on event

At 20.38 hours on 24 Aug 1940, HMS Penzance (L 28) (Cdr A.J. Wavish, RN), escorting convoy SC-1, was hit by one torpedo from U-37, broke in two and sank in a few minutes southwest of Iceland. When the stern section sank the unsecured depth charges detonated, killing some of the survivors swimming in the water and slightly damaging the U-boat. Nevertheless two ships from convoy stopped to pick up survivors. Twelve men were picked up by the British steam merchant Fylingdale, but one of them later died of injures and was buried at sea. Seven men were picked up by the Blairmore, which was torpedoed and sunk by the same U-boat later that night. All men from the sloop survived the second sinking, were rescued after about 17 hours by the Swedish motor merchant Eknaren (Master Erik Kallstrom) and landed at Baltimore.

 
On boardWe have details of 103 people who were on board


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Media links


U-Boat Attack Logs

Daniel Morgan and Bruce Taylor


amazon.co.uk
(£ 38.25)

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