Ships hit by U-boats


Fort la Reine

British Steam merchant


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NameFort la Reine
Type:Steam merchant (North Sands)
Tonnage7,133 tons
Completed1942 - Burrard Dry Dock Co, North Vancouver 
OwnerJoseph Constantine SS Line Ltd, Middlesbrough 
HomeportLondon 
Date of attack17 Aug 1942Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-658 (Hans Senkel)
Position18° 30'N, 75° 20'W - Grid DN 7892
Complement44 (3 dead and 41 survivors).
ConvoyPG-6
RouteVancouver - Cristobal (13 Aug) - Guantanamo Bay - Halifax - London 
Cargo5200 tons of general cargo and 4100 tons of grain and lumber 
History Completed July 1942, with the Hull built by Vancouver Dry Dock Co, for US War Shipping Administration (WSA), lend-leased on bareboat charter to British Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). 
Notes on event

At 06.19 on 17 August 1942, U-658 fired a spread of two torpedoes at convoy PG-6 in the Windward Passage west of Haiti and hit the Fort la Reine with the first torpedo after 3 minutes 50 seconds and observed the ship sinking after eight minutes. The second torpedo hit the Laguna after 4 minutes 10 seconds and Senkel reported the sinking of this ship, but could not observe it.
At 06.20 hours, the U-boat fired a second spread of two torpedoes and observed one hit after 5 minutes 15 seconds on the Samir, which caught fire and sank after five minutes.

The master, 36 crew members and four gunners from the Fort la Reine (Master Percy William Pennock), which was on her maiden voyage, were rescued: 29 survivors by the HMS Pimpernel (K 71) (LtCdr F.H. Thornton, RNR) and landed at Guantanamo Bay and 12 survivors rescued by a US patrol boat landed at New Orleans. Three crew members were lost.

 
On boardWe have details of 4 people who were on board


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