Solon II
British Steam merchant
Photo courtesy of John H. Marsh Maritime Research Centre
| Name | Solon II | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 4,561 tons | ||
| Completed | 1925 - W. Gray & Co Ltd, Sunderland | ||
| Owner | T. & J. Brocklebank Ltd, Liverpool | ||
| Homeport | Swansea | ||
| Date of attack | 3 Dec 1942 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-508 (Georg Staats) | ||
| Position | 7° 45'N, 56° 30'W - Grid EO 5225 | ||
| Complement | 82 (75 dead and 7 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Iskenderun, Turkey - Capetown - Pernambuco - Trinidad - Baltimore | ||
| Cargo | Manganese ore and 2000 tons of copper | ||
| History | Completed in October 1925 as French Solon for Cie de Navigation d’Orbigny, La Rochelle. On 17 July 1940 the ship was seized at Swansea by Britain and renamed Solon II by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). | ||
| Notes on event | At 23.56 hours on 3 December 1942 the unescorted Solon II (Master John Robinson) was hit by one torpedo from U-508 and sank within 20 seconds northeast of Georgetown, British Guiana. The U-boat had spotted the ship four hours earlier and missed with a first torpedo at 21.08 hours. Before leaving the area, the Germans questioned the fourth engineer Alexander Macfarlane in the only boat that the crew was able to launch. The survivors made landfall at Weldad, 12 miles west of the River Berbice, British Guiana on 7 December. The master, 68 crew members and six gunners were lost. | ||
| On board | We have details of 74 people who were on board. | ||
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