Vital de Oliveira
Brazilian Troop transport
| Name | Vital de Oliveira | ||
| Type: | Troop transport | ||
| Tonnage | 1,737 tons | ||
| Completed | 1910 - Ailsa Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Troon | ||
| Owner | Brazilian Navy | ||
| Homeport | Rio de Janeiro | ||
| Date of attack | 20 Jul 1944 | Nationality:  Brazilian | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-861 (Jürgen Oesten) | ||
| Position | 22° 29'S, 41° 09'W - Grid GB 2154 | ||
| Complement | 275 (100 dead and 175 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Salvador - Vitória - Rio de Janeiro | ||
| Cargo | Troops and wood | ||
| History | Built as steam merchant Itaúba for Cia Nacional de Navegação Costeira, Rio de Janeiro. In 1911 the ship was requisitioned by the Brazilian Navy and used as troop transport to Paraguay. She was then returned to the owner, but on 13 Oct 1932, requisitioned again as auxiliary and on 2 December renamed Vital de Oliveira. | ||
| Notes on event | At 04.54 hours on 20 July 1944, U-861 torpedoed the Vital de Oliveria (Capitão-de-Fragata João Batista de Medeiros Guimarães Roxo) which sank within 6 minutes about 25 miles south of São Tomé lighthouse. Her sole escort Javarí (CS 51) was missed by a torpedo and initially searched for the attacker but then rescued the commander and other survivors together with the Brazilian fishing vessel Guanabara. | ||
| On board | We have details of 1 people who were on board. | ||
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