Ropsley
23 Feb 1943 - 23 Feb 1943
| The Convoy | 3 ships |
| First sighting | On 23 Feb 1943 by U-371 |
| Escorts | Two or three escorts, including HMS Felixstowe (J 126) |
U-boats | U-371* (Mehl) * U-boats that fired torpedo or used the deck gun |
The battle | On 22 Feb, 1943, a small coastal convoy consisting of the steamer Fintra, the coastal tanker Empire Bute and the ferry Empire Dace left Philippeville for Algiers, escorted by two or three escorts. The convoy carried the codename Ropsley and crossed the path of the submerged U-371, which immediately attacked with a full spread of four torpedoes and sank the Fintra. The U-boat evaded several depth charge attacks by HMS Felixstowe and escaped without damage, while the remaining ships of the convoy safely arrived in Algiers later that day. |
Article compiled by Rainer Kolbicz
Ships hit from convoy Ropsley
| Date | U-boat | Commander | Name of ship | Tons | Nat. | Map | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Feb 1943 | U-371 | Waldemar Mehl |  | Fintra | 2,089 |  | br | A |
| 2,089 | ||||||||
1 ship sunk (2,089 tons). Legend | ||||||||
This was the only convoy on route Ropsley hit by U-boats in the war.