Freddy,

JUSTICIA and LAPLAND sailed with five other ships in convoy OLX39 from Liverpool for New York on 18 July 1918. JUSTICIA was torpedoed by UB64 off Skerryvore in position 56° 23'N 7°49'W at 15:31 on the 19th. JUSTICIA lost power and stopped and was taken in tow.UB64 carried out further attacks at 17:37 and 18:30 scoring one more hit before being driven off and damaged by the escort at 20:55.

Another attack by an unknown boat missed at 04:45 on the 20th and UB124 sank JUSTICIA off Lough Swilly in position 55° 34'N 7° 39'W at 10:15. UB124 was counter attacked and sunk by MARNE, MILBROOK and PIGEON.

JUSTICIA ought to have been the leader of the centre column of the convoy, but the ships which should have formed the column on her starboard side did not sail. Therefore the starboard outer column headed by LAPLAND was immediately on JUSTICIA'S starboard side. All the reports of torpedo attacks say that they came from the port side. Only the first attack could have threatened LAPLAND as it was possible that one which missed JUSTICIA ran on to miss LAPLAND. The reports by the escort say that no tracks were sighted. After this with JUSTICIA losing power the remainder of the convoy would have drawn away from her. This makes the picking up of survivors by LAPLAND extremely unlikely as ships in convoy were ordered not to stop and pick up survivors, as they would make an easy target. Also by the time that JUSTICIA and UB124 were sunk the convoy and LAPLAND would have been miles away.

I do not have the sheet which gives the tonage and nationality of the ships in the convoy, but I suspect that the LAPLAND which was in OLX39 was the British steamer of that name, could anybody else confirm this?

I hope that this helps,

Deryck