General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
SS Guelma July 1941 - rumours?
Posted by:
John Griffiths
()
Date: March 14, 2001 10:02PM
<HTML>Hi all,
A poser for you.
I have just had the loan of a first edition copy of \'The Admiralty Regrets...the story of His Majesty\'s submarine Thetis and Thunderbolt\' by CET Warren and J. Benson. Cracking good story written in that inimitable 1940\'s English style, all Trevor Howard / Noel Coward stuff - Dratted wind in me eye, lad - not bally tears, dontcha\'know? Although, humour aside, it is based on the true story of that fated submarine. I digress.
After Thetis was raised she became Thunderbolt, pressed into service by Their Lordships with scant regard for superstition. As Thunderbolt, she was responsible for rescuing the survivors of the Strick Line\'s Guelma which was sunk in July of 1941 by an Italian submarine.
She sailed from the Azores for Funchal, apparently to discharge some of her own coal ashore at Funchal. It was here that her Master, Capt. W. G. Taylor, was told by the Shipping Chandler ashore the reason the old ship had arrived in one piece - and I quote:
We knew you would arrive with the coal. You were escorted by a German submarine all the way from the Azores, to make sure nothing happened to you.
When asked to explain this, the Chandler said that the German merchantmen at Funchal needed the coal. When this was laughed at by Captain Taylor, the Chandler apparently said that the laughter was ill advised as, now she had discharged coal ashore, she no longer needed safeguarding. The Guelma left Funchal five days later - to be sunk.
Is this true? Did incidents such as this really take place, where the unseen U boats would \'protect\' allied merchant ships to port to discharge cargo like coal - only to sink them when they left port?
Interesting - and I wonder which one of you know the answers to the question!
Aye,
John</HTML>
A poser for you.
I have just had the loan of a first edition copy of \'The Admiralty Regrets...the story of His Majesty\'s submarine Thetis and Thunderbolt\' by CET Warren and J. Benson. Cracking good story written in that inimitable 1940\'s English style, all Trevor Howard / Noel Coward stuff - Dratted wind in me eye, lad - not bally tears, dontcha\'know? Although, humour aside, it is based on the true story of that fated submarine. I digress.
After Thetis was raised she became Thunderbolt, pressed into service by Their Lordships with scant regard for superstition. As Thunderbolt, she was responsible for rescuing the survivors of the Strick Line\'s Guelma which was sunk in July of 1941 by an Italian submarine.
She sailed from the Azores for Funchal, apparently to discharge some of her own coal ashore at Funchal. It was here that her Master, Capt. W. G. Taylor, was told by the Shipping Chandler ashore the reason the old ship had arrived in one piece - and I quote:
We knew you would arrive with the coal. You were escorted by a German submarine all the way from the Azores, to make sure nothing happened to you.
When asked to explain this, the Chandler said that the German merchantmen at Funchal needed the coal. When this was laughed at by Captain Taylor, the Chandler apparently said that the laughter was ill advised as, now she had discharged coal ashore, she no longer needed safeguarding. The Guelma left Funchal five days later - to be sunk.
Is this true? Did incidents such as this really take place, where the unseen U boats would \'protect\' allied merchant ships to port to discharge cargo like coal - only to sink them when they left port?
Interesting - and I wonder which one of you know the answers to the question!
Aye,
John</HTML>
| Subject | Written By | Posted |
|---|---|---|
SS Guelma July 1941 - rumours?
|
John Griffiths | 03/14/2001 10:02PM |
|
RE: SS Guelma July 1941 - rumours?
|
Capt. George W. Duffy | 03/15/2001 12:07AM |
|
RE: SS Guelma July 1941 - rumours for George!?
|
John Griffiths | 03/15/2001 06:15PM |
|
RE: SS Guelma July 1941 - rumours for George!?
|
Capt. George W. Duffy | 03/15/2001 11:40PM |
|
RE: SS Guelma July 1941 - rumours for George!?
|
John Griffiths | 03/16/2001 04:25PM |