Ships hit by U-boats


West Madaket

American Steam merchant



NameWest Madaket
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage5,565 tons
Completed1918 - Skinner & Eddy Corp, Seattle WA 
OwnerWaterman Steamship Co, Mobile AL 
HomeportMobile 
Date of attack5 May 1943Nationality:      American
 
FateSunk by U-584 (Joachim Deecke)
Position54° 47'N, 44° 12'W - Grid AJ 5695
Complement61 (0 dead and 61 survivors).
ConvoyONS-5 (straggler)
RouteAvonmouth - Milford Haven (20 Apr) - New York 
Cargo100 tons of sand and 75 tons of water ballast 
History  
Notes on event

At 16.43 hours on 5 May 1943, U-584 fired a spread of four torpedoes at a group of five stragglers from convoy ONS-5 escorted by HMS Pink (K 137) south of Cape Farewell. One torpedo failed to run, but the Germans claimed two ships with 13.000 grt sunk after hearing three detonations and later boiler explosions and sinking noises. However, only the West Madaket (Master Hans Schroeder) was hit by one torpedo on the port side between #5 hold and the after peak tank. The ship had been in station #12 of convoy ONS-5, straggled due to heavy weather on 2 May and one and a half day later joined the group of stragglers. The explosion damaged the steam lines and caused the ship to settle by the stern, developing a crack visible amidships. Most of the eight officers, 31 crewmen and 22 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 3in and six 20mm guns) abandoned ship in three lifeboats about 20 minutes after the hit, only the armed guards stayed behind and eventually left by jumping overboard. The corvette scuttled the wreck with four depth charges from the starboard thrower at 18.05 hours, picked up the survivors and landed them at St. Johns on 9 May.

 
On boardWe have details of 1 people who were on board


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