Ships hit by U-boats


Chulmleigh

British Steam merchant



Photo courtesy of Dmitriy A. Sidorov

NameChulmleigh
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage5,445 tons
Completed1938 - William Pickersgill & Sons Ltd, Sunderland 
OwnerW.J. Tatem Ltd, Cardiff 
HomeportLondon 
Date of attack6 Nov 1942Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-625 (Hans Benker)
Position76° 27'N, 15° 50'E - Grid AB 3281
Complement58 (45 dead and 13 survivors).
Convoy
RouteMethil (23 Sep) - Loch Ewe - Reykjavik (31 Oct) - Archangelsk 
CargoGovernment stores 
History Completed in May 1938 
Notes on event

On 5 November 1942 the unescorted Chulmleigh (Master Daniel Morley Williams) was bombed and damaged by a German Ju88 aircraft of II./KG 30 from Banak, Norway and beached about 10 miles southwest of South Cape, Spitsbergen.

At 15.58 hours on 6 November, U-625 fired a spread of two G7e torpedoes at the stranded Chulmleigh, scored one hit and completed the destruction of the vessel with gunfire. Later the wreck was again bombed by a Ju88. The master, three crew members and nine gunners survived. 36 crew members and nine gunners were lost, many died of frostbite. The crew landed on an isolated part of Spitzbergen and were not rescued until 4 January, by troops from the local garrison at Barentsburg. The survivors eventually boarded the cruisers HMS Bermuda (52) (Capt T.H. Back, RN) and HMS Cumberland (57) (Capt A.H. Maxwell-Hyslop, AM, RN) and landed at Thurso on 16 May 1943.

 
On boardWe have details of 51 people who were on board


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