City of Pretoria
British Steam merchant
Photo courtesy of Allan C. Green Collection
| Name | City of Pretoria | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 8,049 tons | ||
| Completed | 1937 - Cammell Laird & Co Ltd, Birkenhead | ||
| Owner | Ellerman & Bucknall SS Co Ltd, London | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 4 Mar 1943 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-172 (Carl Emmermann) | ||
| Position | 42° 39'N, 36° 46'W - Grid CD 3239 | ||
| Complement | 145 (145 dead - no survivors) | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | New York (27 Feb) - Holyhead - Liverpool | ||
| Cargo | 7032 tons of general cargo and explosives | ||
| History | Completed in December 1937 | ||
| Notes on event | At 06.09 hours on 4 March 1943 the unescorted City of Pretoria (Master Frank Deighton, OBE) was hit by two of three torpedoes from U-172 and sank after a heavy explosion about 320 miles northwest of the Azores. The ship was reported missing and presumed lost in approx. 41°45N/42°30W. The master, 108 crew members, 24 gunners, six passengers (DBS) and six apprentices were lost. One of the passengers was the third officer James Alister Whyte who had survived 51 days in a lifeboat after the sinking of City of Cairo by U-68 (Merten) on 6 November 1942. | ||
| On board | We have details of 145 people who were on board. | ||
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