Devis
British Motor merchant
Photo courtesy of Paul Johnson Collection
| Name | Devis | ||
| Type: | Motor merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 6,054 tons | ||
| Completed | 1938 - Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast | ||
| Owner | Lamport & Holt Ltd, Liverpool | ||
| Homeport | Liverpool | ||
| Date of attack | 5 Jul 1943 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-593 (Gerd Kelbling) | ||
| Position | 37° 01'N, 4° 10'E - Grid CH 9544 | ||
| Complement | 342 (52 dead and 290 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | KMS-18B | ||
| Route | Clyde (24 Jun) - Sicily | ||
| Cargo | 289 troops, 4000 tons of government stores and a deck cargo of two landing craft | ||
| History | Completed in February 1938. During the war specially modified as an Assault Command Ship. | ||
| Notes on event | At 15.43 hours on 5 July 1943, U-593 fired two spreads of two torpedoes at convoy KMS-18B northeast of Cape Bengut and heard a hit after 1 minute 20 seconds and sinking noises. The torpedo hit and sank the Devis (Master Walter Denson), the ship of convoy commodore (Rear Admiral H.T. England, RN) in station #41. She had 289 Canadian troops and two British landing craft on board for Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. 52 soldiers were lost. HMS LCM-1123 sank with the ship, while HMS LCM-1129 floated off slightly damaged and was salvaged by its crew. The master, convoy commodore, six naval staff members, 24 crew members, 21 gunners and 237 soldiers were picked up by HMS Cleveland (L 46) (Lt J.K. Hamilton, RN) and landed at Bougie. | ||
| On board | We have details of 13 people who were on board. | ||
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