Ships hit by U-boats


Ixion

British Steam merchant



Photo courtesy of State Library of New South Wales

NameIxion
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage10,263 tons
Completed1912 - ScottĀ“s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Greenock 
OwnerAlfred Holt & Co, Liverpool 
HomeportLiverpool 
Date of attack7 May 1941Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-94 (Herbert Kuppisch)
Position61° 29'N, 22° 40'W - Grid AE 7744
Complement105 (0 dead and 105 survivors).
ConvoyOB-318
RouteGlasgow (3 May) - New York 
Cargo2900 tons of general cargo, including whisky and 900 bags of mail 
History Completed in December 1912 
Notes on event

Between 23.10 and 23.12 hours on 7 May 1941, U-94 fired four torpedoes at convoy OB-318 about 200 miles southwest of Reykjavik and reported four ships sunk, but Kuppisch apparently interpreted depth charges dropped by HMS Bulldog (H 91) (Cdr A.J. Baker-Cresswell, RN) and HMS Rochester (L 50) (LtCdr C.B. Allen, RN) immediately after the torpedoes had detonated on Ixion and Eastern Star as hits on other ships. The both escorts dropped together 67 depth charges on the U-boat, damaging it slightly.

The Ixion (Master Walter Francis Dark) was hit on the port side at #7 hold by one torpedo and sank. The master and 18 crew members were picked up by HMS Marigold (K 87) (Lt W.S. MacDonald, RNVR) and landed at Greenock. 77 crew members and nine gunners were picked up by the British steam merchant Nailsea Moor and landed at Sydney, Nova Scotia.

 
On boardWe have details of 1 people who were on board


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