Wellington Star
British Motor merchant
Name | Wellington Star | ||
Type: | Motor merchant | ||
Tonnage | 13,212 tons | ||
Completed | 1939 - Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast | ||
Owner | Blue Star Line Ltd, London | ||
Homeport | Belfast | ||
Date of attack | 16 Jun 1940 | Nationality: British | |
Fate | Sunk by U-101 (Fritz Frauenheim) | ||
Position | 42° 39'N, 17° 01'W - Grid CF 3224 | ||
Complement | 69 (0 dead and 69 survivors). | ||
Convoy | |||
Route | Sydney, NSW - Melbourne - Panama - Falmouth | ||
Cargo | Refrigerated and general cargo | ||
History | Completed in August 1939 | ||
Notes on event | At 13.02 hours on 16 June 1940 the unescorted Wellington Star (Master Trevor Williams) was hit in the bow by one G7a torpedo from U-101 about 300 miles west of Cape Finisterre. After the crew abandoned ship in four lifeboats, the U-boat fired three coups de grâce at 14.23, 14.40 and 14.58 hours, but the first two were duds. The ship developed a list and settled but did not sink after the last coup de grâce had hit underneath the bridge. The U-boat surfaced, questioned the survivors and sank the ship with 31 rounds from the deck gun at 16.45 hours. The master and 51 crew members were picked up after eight days by the French steam merchant Pierre L.D. and landed at Casablanca on 24 June. The same day, the remaining 17 crew members in a lifeboat made landfall at Figuera da Foz near Oporto. | ||
On board | We have details of 1 people who were on board. |
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