Zarian
British Steam merchant
Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart
| Name | Zarian | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 4,871 tons | ||
| Completed | 1938 - Furness Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Haverton Hill, Middlesbrough | ||
| Owner | United Africa Co Ltd, London | ||
| Homeport | Freetown | ||
| Date of attack | 29 Dec 1942 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-591 (Hans-Jürgen Zetzsche) | ||
| Position | 43° 23'N, 27° 14'W - Grid BD 9887 | ||
| Complement | 53 (4 dead and 49 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | ONS-154 (straggler) | ||
| Route | Leith - Loch Ewe (18 Dec) - Takoradi | ||
| Cargo | 7500 tons of general cargo and goverment stores | ||
| History | Completed in February 1938 At 01.18 hours on 1 Jul 1940, U-26 (Scheringer) fired two G7a torpedoes at two ships in convoy OA-175 in 48°03N/11°11W. One of them hit the Zarian in station #14 on the port side aft. The U-boat was sunk a few hours after this attack. The ship was en route in ballast from Portsmouth to Dakar. There were no casualties. She was towed to port by HMS Salvonia (W 43) (Lt G.M.M. Robinson, RNR), repaired and returned to service in June 1941. | ||
| Notes on event | At 23.17 hours on 28 Dec 1942, U-406 (Dieterichs) fired two FAT and three T-3 torpedoes at convoy ONS-154 northwest of the Azores and reported two ships sunk and two ships damaged, but in fact three ships, Baron Cochrane in station #12, Lynton Grange in station #22 and Zarian in station #13 were hit and damaged. At 00.01 hours on 29 December, the Zarian (Master William Edward Pelissier) was sunk by a coup de grâce from U-591. Four crew members were lost. The master, 37 crew members, seven gunners and four passengers were picked up by HMS Milne (G 14) (Capt I.M.R. Campbell, DSO, RN) and landed at Ponta Delgada, Azores. | ||
| On board | We have details of 6 people who were on board. | ||
Attack entries for Zarian
| Date | U-boat | Commander | Loss type | Tons | Nat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul 1940 | U-26 | Kptlt. Heinz Scheringer | Damaged | 4,871 | |
| 28 Dec 1942 | U-406 | Kptlt. Horst Dieterichs | Damaged | 4,871 | |
| 29 Dec 1942 | U-591 | Kptlt. Hans-Jürgen Zetzsche | Sunk | 4,871 | |
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