Loire
French Steam merchant
Loire under her former name Irrawaddy
| Name | Loire | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 4,285 tons | ||
| Completed | 1928 - Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow | ||
| Owner | Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, Paris | ||
| Homeport | Le Havre | ||
| Date of attack | 13 Nov 1939 | Nationality:  French | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-26 (Klaus Ewerth) | ||
| Position | 36° 16'N, 2° 13'W - Grid CH 7537 | ||
| Complement | 39 (39 dead - no survivors) | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Oran (12 Nov) - Gibraltar - Nantes - Dunkirk | ||
| Cargo | 5588 tons of pyrite, 416 tons of wine and general cargo | ||
| History | Completed in June 1928 as Irrawaddy for British & Burmese Steam Navigation Co Ltd (P. Henderson & Co), Glasgow. 1938 sold to France and renamed Loire. | ||
| Notes on event | At 03.40 hours on 13 Nov 1939 the unescorted Loire (Master René Decrop) was hit by one stern torpedo from U-26 and sank within 30 seconds about 40 miles south-southeast of Almeira, Spain. The U-boat had hit the ship with a dud at 03.34 hours. The Loire was reported missing with a crew of 34 and five gunners (the ship was armed with two 90mm guns) after leaving Oran, only a life buoy from the ship and widely dispersed wooden debris was found by L’Alcyon on 17 November. In November 1939 U-26 was the first German U-boat that operated in the Mediterranean in World War 2, she left the Mediterranean again after a few days through the Strait of Gibraltar. | ||
| On board | We have details of 39 people who were on board. | ||
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