General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
Re: Anyone else heard this tale?
Posted by:
ROBERT M.
()
Date: December 24, 2005 05:48AM
Andrew:
You are undoubtedly referring to the Free French submarine
SURCOUF.......
Your "tale" is just that, a tale.
After her final repairs/defects were completed in Halifax, NS ,on
2/3/42, she headed straight for Bermuda where she arrived on
2/7/42. During the voyage a major fault was discovered in one of the main electric motor armatures putting her out of action so that she could only dive on one electric motor. Repairing the armature required its removal from the sub and Bermuda dockyard stated that it would take 3 months to repair it. The repairs never took place and SURCOUF left Bermuda at 3 PM on 2/12/42, headed for Colon, Panama to transit the Panama Canal on its way to Tahiti, never to be seen or heard of again.
On 2/18/42, the THOMPSON LYKES, a 6762-ton American freighter collided with the surfaced SURCOUF at 10:28 PM and
she sunk at 10-40N 79-31W, or about 75 miles northeast of Christobal.
Source:
"Who Sunk SURCOUF?" by James Rusbridger (1991)
Hope this helps,
ROBERT M.
You are undoubtedly referring to the Free French submarine
SURCOUF.......
Your "tale" is just that, a tale.
After her final repairs/defects were completed in Halifax, NS ,on
2/3/42, she headed straight for Bermuda where she arrived on
2/7/42. During the voyage a major fault was discovered in one of the main electric motor armatures putting her out of action so that she could only dive on one electric motor. Repairing the armature required its removal from the sub and Bermuda dockyard stated that it would take 3 months to repair it. The repairs never took place and SURCOUF left Bermuda at 3 PM on 2/12/42, headed for Colon, Panama to transit the Panama Canal on its way to Tahiti, never to be seen or heard of again.
On 2/18/42, the THOMPSON LYKES, a 6762-ton American freighter collided with the surfaced SURCOUF at 10:28 PM and
she sunk at 10-40N 79-31W, or about 75 miles northeast of Christobal.
Source:
"Who Sunk SURCOUF?" by James Rusbridger (1991)
Hope this helps,
ROBERT M.