British General
Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart
| Name | British General | ||
| Type: | Steam tanker | ||
| Tonnage | 6,989 tons | ||
| Completed | 1922 - Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Co Ltd, Jarrow | ||
| Owner | British Tanker Co Ltd, London | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 6 Oct 1940 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-37 (Victor Oehrn) | ||
| Position | 51.42N, 24.03W - Grid AL 8424 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 47 (47 dead - no survivors) | ||
| Convoy | OA-222 (dispersed) | ||
| Route | Tyne (27 Sep) - Methil (30 Sep) - Abadan | ||
| Cargo | Ballast | ||
| History | Completed in June 1922 | ||
| Notes on loss | At 18.55 hours on 6 Oct, 1940, the British General (Master Frank Oswald Armstrong), dispersed from convoy OA-222, was hit underneath the bridge by one torpedo from U-37 about 550 miles west of Valentia Island. The hit had not much effect but the tanker stopped after being hit aft by a second torpedo at 23.10 hours. The U-boat stayed nearby during the night to wait for the ship to sink, but the disabled British General remained afloat. U-37 could not finish her off with the deck gun because she was armed and around noon the tanker crew even tried to communicate with the U-boat by Morse signals. The tanker finally sank in 51°42N/24°50W at 20.00 hours on 7 October, after being hit by two coups de grāce. The master and 46 crew members were lost. | ||
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