Ships hit by U-boats


Rose Schiaffino

British Steam merchant



Photo courtesy of Jean-François Durand

NameRose Schiaffino
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage3,349 tons
Completed1920 - Blyth Shipbuilding & Dry Docks Co Ltd, Blyth 
OwnerMark Whitwell & Son Ltd, Bristol 
HomeportCardiff 
Date of attack31 Oct 1941Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-374 (Unno von Fischel)
Position47° 57'N, 50° 35'W - Grid BC 4163
Complement41 (41 dead - no survivors)
Convoy
RouteWabana, Conception Bay (26 Oct) - St. John’s (31 Oct) - Cardiff 
Cargo4200 tons of iron ore 
History Laid down as War Minaret for The Shipping Controller, completed in March 1920 as Notton for W.J. Tatem Ltd, Cardiff. 1923 sold to France and renamed Rose Schiaffino for Société Algerienne de Navigation Charles Schiaffino & Cie, Algiers. On 29 January 1941 seized by HMS Scottish (FY 245) (Cdr S.A. Brooks, OBE, RN) off Gibraltar and transferred to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). 
Notes on event

At 09.03 hours on 31 October 1941 the unescorted Rose Schiaffino (Master Thomas Percival Evans) was hit on port side by one of two G7e torpedoes fired by U-374 and sank by the stern within 30 seconds about 90 miles east-northeast of St. John’s, Newfoundland. The master, 36 crew members and four gunners were lost.

Rose Schiaffino had originally joined convoy SC-51 after leaving Wabana and returned to St. John’s when she became a straggler on 27 October. The ship then sailed again independently, presumably to join another convoy at sea, but was sunk shortly after leaving port.

 
On boardWe have details of 41 people who were on board


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