Ships hit by U-boats


Westmoreland

British Steam merchant



Photo courtesy of Allan C. Green Collection

NameWestmoreland
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage8,967 tons
Completed1917 - D. & W. Henderson & Co Ltd, Glasgow 
OwnerFederal Steam Navigation Co Ltd, London 
HomeportLondon 
Date of attack1 Jun 1942Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-566 (Dietrich Borchert)
Position35° 55'N, 63° 35'W - Grid CB 8466
Complement68 (3 dead and 65 survivors).
Convoy
RouteWellington - Colon (25 May) - Liverpool 
Cargo6480 tons of general cargo, refrigerated meat and foodstuffs, 9554 bales of wool and 406 bags of mail 
History Completed in April 1917 
Notes on event

At 08.36 hours on 1 June 1942 the unescorted Westmoreland (Master Ernst Arthur Burton) was torpedoed by U-566 about 240 miles north-northeast of Bermuda. At 09.32 hours, the U-boat hit the ship with a coup de grĂ¢ce and at 10.20 hours began shelling the ship with the deck gun until the burning vessel capsized to starboard and sank at 13.08 hours. Two crew members and one gunner were lost. The master, 59 crew members and five gunners were rescued: 45 survivors by the Canadian steam merchant Cathcart and landed at Halifax and 20 survivors by Henry R. Mallory and landed at New York.

 
On boardWe have details of 6 people who were on board


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