Erato
British Steam merchant
| Name | Erato | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 1,335 tons | ||
| Completed | 1923 - John Duthie Torry Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Aberdeen | ||
| Owner | Ellerman´s Wilson Line Ltd, Hull | ||
| Homeport | Hull | ||
| Date of attack | 27 Jul 1941 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-126 (Ernst Bauer) | ||
| Position | 43° 10'N, 17° 30'W - Grid CF 3182 | ||
| Complement | 42 (9 dead and 33 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | OG-69 | ||
| Route | Liverpool (20 Jul) - Oporto - Gibraltar | ||
| Cargo | 732 tons of general cargo, 1200 tons of military and naval stores | ||
| History | Completed in October 1923 | ||
| Notes on event | At 23.51 hours on 27 July 1941, U-126 fired four bow torpedoes and then two stern torpedoes at convoy OG-69 200 miles west of Cape Finisterre. Bauer reported that one ship exploded, another hit on a small ship beyond and hits by the stern torpedoes on two different ships aft and amidships. The last vessel was seen sinking after it broke in two. However, only two ships were reported sunk at this time, the Erato (probably the first ship hit) and the Inga I (probably the ship, which broke in two). Eight crew members and one gunner from the Erato (Master George D. Smail), the ship of convoy commodore (Capt C.M. Ford, RD, RNR), were lost. The master, the commodore, five naval staff members, 22 crew members and four gunners were picked up by HMS Begonia (K 66) (Lt T.A.R. Muir, RNR) and landed at Gibraltar. | ||
| On board | We have details of 11 people who were on board. | ||
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