Ships hit by U-boats


Gonçalo Velho

Portuguese Steam merchant



Gonçalo Velho under her former name Balboa. Photo courtesy of State Library of New South Wales

NameGonçalo Velho
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage1,595 tons
Completed1913 - Murdoch & Murray Ltd, Port Glasgow 
OwnerCia de Navegação Carregadores Açoreanos, São Miguel, Azores 
HomeportPunta Delgada 
Date of attack8 Nov 1940Nationality:      Portuguese
 
FateDamaged by U-47 (Günther Prien)
Position52° 30'N, 17° 30'W - Grid AL 9533
Complement? men (0 dead and ? survivors).
Convoy
Routeto Oporto 
Cargo 
History Completed in March 1913 as Linmere for Watson SS Co Ltd, Manchester. 1923 renamed Balboa for MacAndrews & Co Ltd, London. 1928 sold to Portugal and renamed Gonçalo Velho for Cia de Navegação Carregadores Açoreanos, São Miguel, Azores.

Post-war:
1949 sold to Italy and renamed Generoso for San Giorgio. Broken up in La Spezia in March 1963. 
Notes on event

At 13.47 hours on 8 Nov 1940, U-47 tried to stop the neutral Gonçalo Velho (Master Joel Gomes) by a shot over the vessel with the deck gun. The ship slowed down and prepared to launch a boat, but steered towards the U-boat so they fired two more warning shots to force the ship to stop immediately. One of them hit the stem and damaged her slightly. The master boarded the U-boat with the papers of the ship. After one hour she was allowed to proceed because no contraband could be found.

 


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