Mendoza
British Troop transport
Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart
| Name | Mendoza | ||
| Type: | Troop transport | ||
| Tonnage | 8,233 tons | ||
| Completed | 1919 - Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Walker-on-Tyne | ||
| Owner | Alfred Holt & Co, Liverpool | ||
| Homeport | Glasgow | ||
| Date of attack | 1 Nov 1942 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-178 (Hans Ibbeken) | ||
| Position | 29° 20'S, 32° 13'E - Grid KP 8611 | ||
| Complement | 406 (26 dead and 380 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Mombasa (26 Oct) - Durban | ||
| Cargo | 253 military including naval personnel and 287 bags of mail | ||
| History | Completed in October 1920 as French steam passenger ship Mendoza for Société Générale de Transports Maritimes à Vapeur SA, Marseilles. On 18 Jan 1941, the Vichy French ship was captured by HMS Asturias (F 71) (Capt H. Ardill, RN (retired)) 60 miles east of Montevideo and taken to Freetown, arriving on 1 February. Transferred to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and used as troop transport. | ||
| Notes on event | At 15.33 hours on 1 Nov 1942 the unescorted Mendoza (Master Basil T. Batho) was hit aft by one stern torpedo from U-178 and stopped about 70 miles east-northeast of The Bluff near Durban. The ship had been missed by two torpedoes at 15.00 hours. She caught fire and sank after being hit amidships by a G7a coup de grâce at 16.00 hours. The master 19 crew members, three gunners and three passengers were lost. 127 crew members, three gunners and 250 passengers were picked up by the South African armed whaler HMSAS Nigel (T 40) and the American motor merchant Cape Alava and landed at Durban. | ||
| On board | We have details of 60 people who were on board. | ||
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