P.L.M. 22
British Steam merchant
Photo courtesy of Roland Forcet Collection
| Name | P.L.M. 22 | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 5,646 tons | ||
| Completed | 1921 - Sir Raylton Dixon & Co Ltd, Middlesbrough | ||
| Owner | E.R. Management Co Ltd, Cardiff | ||
| Homeport | Newcastle | ||
| Date of attack | 27 Jun 1941 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-123 (Reinhard Hardegen) | ||
| Position | 25° 43'N, 22° 47'W - Grid DT 2626 | ||
| Complement | 44 (33 dead and 11 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | SL-78 | ||
| Route | Pepel - Freetown (18 Jun) - Middlesbrough | ||
| Cargo | 7600 tons of iron ore | ||
| History | Completed in April 1921 as French P.L.M. 22 for Société Maritime de Transports et d'Affrètements, Rouen. 1940 taken over by Britain and transferred to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). | ||
| Notes on event | At 23.57, 23.58 and 24.00 hours on 27 June 1941, U-123 fired one torpedo each at three ships in convoy SL-78 from between the columns west-southwest of the Canary Islands. The first torpedo sank P.L.M. 22, the second the Oberon and the third missed the intended target, but was thought to have hit another ship in convoy. The master, 31 crew members and one gunner from P.L.M. 22 (Master Yves Le Bitter, MM and Chevalier du Mérite Maritime) were lost. Nine crew members, one gunner and one passenger were picked up by HMS Armeria (K 187) (A/T/LtCdr H.N. Russell, DSC, RNR), transferred to HMS Asphodel (K 56) (LtCdr K.W. Stewart, RN) and landed at Freetown on 4 July. | ||
| On board | We have details of 33 people who were on board. | ||
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