Ships hit by U-boats


President Francqui

Belgian Motor tanker



NamePresident Francqui
Type:Motor tanker
Tonnage4,919 tons
Completed1928 - New Waterway Shipbuilding Co, Schiedam 
OwnerCompagnie Financière Belge des Petroles (Petrofina) SA, Antwerp 
HomeportGent 
Date of attack29 Dec 1942Nationality:      Belgian
 
FateSunk by U-336 (Hans Hunger)
Position43° 23'N, 27° 14'W - Grid CE 3142
Complement57 (5 dead and 52 survivors).
ConvoyONS-154 (straggler)
RouteBelfast - New York 
CargoBallast 
History  
Notes on event

Between 23.53 and 23.56 hours on 28 Dec 1942, U-225 (Leimkühler) fired four single torpedoes at convoy ONS-154 north of the Azores in 43°23N/27°14W (grid BD 9869). One torpedo damaged the President Francqui and two struck the ship of convoy commodore the Empire Shackleton. The fourth torpedo detonated after 2 minutes 15 seconds and Leimkühler thought that he had hit another ship, but this can not be confirmed by Allied sources.

Between 07.24 and 07.28 hours on 29 December, U-336 fired three torpedoes at the now straggling President Francqui (Master G. Bayot) that were duds, but she was stopped by one torpedo from U-225 at 08.13 hours in grid CE 2332. After two further duds at 09.16 and 10.10 hours, the tanker was sunk by a coup de grâce from U-336 at 10.25 hours.
Five men were lost and two wounded of the 49 crew members (42 Belgians) and eight gunners on board. The master was taken prisoner by U-225 and landed in Brest on 8 Jan 1943.

 
On boardWe have details of 49 people who were on board

Attack entries for President Francqui

DateU-boatCommanderLoss typeTonsNat.
28 Dec 1942U-225Oblt. Wolfgang LeimkühlerDamaged4,919  
29 Dec 1942U-336Kptlt. Hans HungerSunk4,919  


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