Chung Cheng
Chinese Steam merchant
Chung Cheng under her former name Murat Halstead
| Name | Chung Cheng | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant (Liberty) | ||
| Tonnage | 7,176 tons | ||
| Completed | 1943 - Permanente Metals Corp, Richmond CA | ||
| Owner | Government of China | ||
| Homeport | |||
| Date of attack | 3 Feb 1944 | Nationality:  Chinese | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-188 (Siegfried Lüdden) | ||
| Position | 13° 00'N, 54° 20'E - Grid MO 4456 | ||
| Complement | 71 (20 dead and 51 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Calcutta - Chochin, India - Aden - USA | ||
| Cargo | 8350 tons of ilmenite ore | ||
| History | Launched as American Murat Halstead, completed in September 1943 as Chinese Chung Cheng | ||
| Notes on event | About 23.45 hours on 3 Feb 1944 the unescorted Chung Cheng was torpedoed by U-188. Due to her cargo of ore she sank so quickly that no lifeboat could be launched. On board were eleven American officers, four Chinese officers, 29 Chinese crewmen and 27 American armed guards. Twenty men, mostly Chinese crewmen were lost. The survivors were picked up after 12 hours by a British freighter and taken to a hospital in Aden. | ||
| On board | We have details of 2 people who were on board. | ||
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