Shuntien
British Steam passenger ship
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| Name | Shuntien | ||
| Type: | Steam passenger ship | ||
| Tonnage | 3,059 tons | ||
| Completed | 1934 - Taikoo Dockyard & Engineering Co of Hong Kong Ltd, Hong Kong | ||
| Owner | China Navigation Co Ltd, London | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 23 Dec 1941 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-559 (Hans Heidtmann) | ||
| Position | 32° 06'N, 24° 46'E - Grid CO 6788 | ||
| Complement | ? men (700 dead and ? survivors). | ||
| Convoy | TA-5 | ||
| Route | Tobruk - Alexandria | ||
| Cargo | German and Italian prisoners of war | ||
| History | Completed in May 1934 | ||
| Notes on event | At 19.02 hours on 23 Dec 1941 the Shuntien (Master William L. Shinn) in convoy TA-5 was torpedoed and sunk by U-559 northeast of Tobruk. The U-boat heard a detonation after a second attack on convoy at 20.13 hours, but a hit is not confirmed from Allied sources. The ship carried 70 crew members, 18 gunners and 850-1100 prisoners of war. The master, 47 crew members and an unknown number of gunners and prisoners were picked up by HMS Salvia (K 97) (LtCdr J.I. Miller, DSO, DSC, RD, RNR) and were all lost when the ship was sunk by U-568 (Preuss) the next day. An unknown number of survivors were picked up by HMS Heythrop (L 85) (LtCdr R.S. Stafford, RN), but approximately 700 men or more were lost. | ||
| On board | We have details of 89 people who were on board. | ||
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