Ships hit by U-boats


Parismina

American Steam merchant



Photo courtesy of John H. Melville

NameParismina
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage4,732 tons
Completed1908 - Workman, Clark & Co Ltd, Belfast 
OwnerUnited Fruit SS Co, New York 
HomeportNew York 
Date of attack18 Nov 1942Nationality:      American
 
FateSunk by U-624 (Ulrich Graf von Soden-Fraunhofen)
Position54° 07'N, 38° 26'W - Grid AK 4858
Complement75 (20 dead and 55 survivors).
ConvoyONS-144
RouteReykjavik - Boston, Massachusetts 
Cargo200 tons of sand ballast 
History Completed in July 1908 as Parismina for Tropical Fruit SS Co Ltd (United Fruit), Glasgow. 1912 transferred to US flag. 1932 renamed General Sherman for States SS Co, San Francisco CA. 1937 returned to United Fruit SS Co and renamed Parismina
Notes on event

At 06.03 and 06.04 hours on 18 Nov 1942, U-624 fired torpedoes at convoy ONS-144 south-southeast of Cape Farewell and reported the sinking of two merchants and one corvette and another merchant damaged. In fact, the President Sergent and Parismina were sunk and the Yaka damaged, while HNoMS Montbretia (K 208) was missed by a torpedo.

The Parismina (Master Edward T. Davidson) in station #74 was struck by one torpedo on the starboard side between the #2 hold and amidships. The explosion caused extensive damage, destroyed two life rafts and started a fire in the forward part of the ship. The eight officers, 40 crewmen, twelve armed guards (the ship was armed with one 4in, four 20mm and two .30cal guns) and 15 passengers (14 of them survivors from Hahira, which had been sunk by U-521 on 3 November) began to abandon ship in four lifeboats and the two remaining rafts. But two lifeboat swamped in the rough seas and the ship sank by the bow nine minutes after the hit. The master, three officers, eleven crewmen, two armed guards and three passengers were lost. The survivors were picked up by the British rescue ship Perth and HNoMS Rose (K 102) (LtCdr T. Jacobsen) and landed at Halifax, where they were put on a train to Boston, arriving there on 27 November.

 
On boardWe have details of 20 people who were on board


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