Tabaristan
British Steam merchant
Tabaristan under her former name Frankenfels. Photo courtesy of State Library of New South Wales
| Name | Tabaristan | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 6,251 tons | ||
| Completed | 1914 - AG Weser, Bremen | ||
| Owner | F.C. Strick & Co Ltd, London | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 29 May 1941 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-38 (Heinrich Liebe) | ||
| Position | 6° 32'N, 15° 23'W - Grid ET 5535 | ||
| Complement | 60 (21 dead and 39 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Basrah - Capetown - Freetown - UK | ||
| Cargo | 3950 tons of groundnuts, 2200 tons of pig iron, 560 tons of manganese ore and 140 tons of general cargo | ||
| History | Completed in January 1914 as German Frankenfels for DDG Hansa, Bremen. On 14 Aug 1914, seized by Britain at Calcutta after arriving there one month earlier on her maiden voyage and placed under management of Grahams Shipping & Trading Co, Glasgow. 1920 transferred to the Secretary of State for India in Council, London. 1925 renamed Tabaristan for F.C. Strick & Co Ltd, London. | ||
| Notes on event | At 23.50 hours on 29 May 1941, U-38 fired a spread of two G7a torpedoes at the unescorted Tabaristan (Master Thomas Dunn) about 250 miles southwest of Freetown. The ship was hit by both torpedoes and sank by the stern after four minutes. 20 crew members and one gunner were lost. The master, 36 crew members and two gunners were picked up by HMS Bengali (FY 165) (Skr F.C. Butler, RNR) and HMS Turcoman (FY 130) (Lt R.F. Pretty, RNVR) and landed at Freetown. | ||
| On board | We have details of 24 people who were on board. | ||
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