Ships hit by U-boats


Triton

Norwegian Motor merchant



NameTriton
Type:Motor merchant
Tonnage6,607 tons
Completed1930 - Kockums Mekaniska Verksteds A/B, Malmö 
OwnerWilh. Wilhelmsen, Oslo 
HomeportTønsberg 
Date of attack17 Aug 1942Nationality:      Norwegian
 
FateSunk by U-566 (Gerhard Remus)
Position39° 31'N, 22° 43'W - Grid CF 4353
Complement43 (0 dead and 43 survivors).
ConvoySL-118
RouteSydney, NSW (25 May) - Fremantle (16 Jun) - Capetown (14 Jul) - Freetown (4 Aug) - Belfast 
Cargo3000 tons of zinc concentrates, 2682 tons of wool, 3259 tons of wheat and 867 bags of mail 
History Completed in June 1930

On 22 Jul 1942, the Triton picked up 11 survivors from the American steam tanker William F. Humphrey, which had been sunk by the German raider Michel in the South Atlantic on the 16 July and landed them at Freetown on 25 July. 
Notes on event

At 17.56 hours on 17 Aug 1942, U-566 fired a spread of three torpedoes at three overlapping ships in convoy SL-118, observed hits after 1 minute 24 seconds, 1 minute 26 seconds and 1 minute 27 seconds and reported the sinking of two ships. However, only Triton (Master Einar Tholvsen) was hit by two torpedoes in the aft cargo holds and sank northeast of the Azores. The master, 39 crew members, two gunners and one passenger abandoned ship in the starboard lifeboats and a raft because both port lifeboats had been damaged. The survivors were picked up after 30 minutes by the British steam merchant Baron Dunmore from the same convoy and landed in Loch Ewe on 26 August. Four men had been injured and were transferred to one of the escorts for medical treatment.

 
More infoMore on this vessel 
On boardWe have details of 39 people who were on board


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