Ships hit by U-boats


Peterton

British Steam merchant



Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart

NamePeterton
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage5,221 tons
Completed1919 - Richardson, Duck & Co Ltd, Stockton-on-Tees 
OwnerR. Chapman & Son, Newcastle-upon-Tyne 
HomeportNewcastle 
Date of attack17 Sep 1942Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-109 (Heinrich Bleichrodt)
Position18° 45'N, 29° 15'W - Grid EH 3258
Complement43 (9 dead and 34 survivors).
ConvoyOG-80 (dispersed)
RouteLondon - Hull - Oban (1 Sep) - Buenos Aires 
Cargo5758 tons of coal 
History Completed in November 1919 
Notes on event

At 13.14 hours on 17 September 1942 the unescorted Peterton (Master Thomas William Marrie), dispersed from convoy OG-80, was hit by three torpedoes from U-109 and sank by the bow after capsizing northwest of the Cape Verde Islands. Eight crew members were lost. The master was taken prisoner by the U-boat, landed at Lorient on 6 October and brought to the POW camp Marlag und Milag Nord. Twelve crew members in a jolly boat were picked up by the Empire Whimbrel after 8 days and landed at Buenos Aires on 11 October. 18 crew members and four gunners in a lifeboat were picked up after 49 days by HMS Canna (T 161) (Lt W.N. Bishop-Laggett, RNR) and landed at Freetown, where one crew member died in a hospital.

More information about this sinking can be found in the book Local Heroes - An Epic WW2 Shipwreck and Survival Story written by Neil Carlsen.

 
On boardWe have details of 43 people who were on board


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