Ships hit by U-boats


Oilfield

British Motor tanker



Photo courtesy of Danish Maritime Museum, Elsinore

NameOilfield
Type:Motor tanker
Tonnage8,516 tons
Completed1938 - Odense Staalskibsværft ved A.P. Møller, Odense 
OwnerHunting & Son Ltd, Newcastle-upon-Tyne 
HomeportNewcastle 
Date of attack28 Apr 1941Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-96 (Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock)
Position60° 05'N, 17° 00'W - Grid AL 3437
Complement55 (47 dead and 8 survivors).
ConvoyHX-121
RouteAruba - Halifax - London 
Cargo11,700 tons of benzine 
History Completed in February 1938 
Notes on event

At 19.25 hours on 28 April 1941, U-96 fired three single torpedoes at three tankers in convoy HX-121 south of Iceland and reported the sinking of two tankers with 18,000 tons and damaging another with 6000 tons after observing three hits. The tankers Oilfield and the Caledonia were sunk and the freighter Port Hardy was hit and sunk after the torpedo had missed the intended target.

The Oilfield (Master Lawrence Robert Andersen) caught fire immediately and burned until she broke in two and sank the next day in 60°06N/16°06W. The master, 44 crew members and two gunners were lost. Six crew members and two gunners were picked up by HMS St. Zeno (FY 280) (Lt J.K. Craig, RNVR) and landed at Londonderry. Lawrence Robert Andersen was the commodore of the fleet of Hunting & Son Ltd.

 
On boardWe have details of 47 people who were on board


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