Clearton
British Steam merchant
Photo courtesy of State Library of New South Wales
| Name | Clearton | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 5,219 tons | ||
| Completed | 1919 - Richardson, Duck & Co Ltd, Stockton-on-Tees | ||
| Owner | R. Chapman & Son, Newcastle-upon-Tyne | ||
| Homeport | Newcastle | ||
| Date of attack | 1 Jul 1940 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-102 (Harro von Klot-Heydenfeldt) | ||
| Position | 47° 53'N, 9° 30'W - Grid BF 42 | ||
| Complement | 34 (9 dead and 25 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | SL-36 | ||
| Route | Rosario - Freetown (15 Jun) - Manchester | ||
| Cargo | 7320 tons of cereals | ||
| History | Completed in September 1919 | ||
| Notes on event | At 11.55 hours on 1 July 1940 the Clearton (Master John Edward Elsdon) in convoy SL-36 was torpedoed and damaged by U-102 about 180 miles west of Ushant. At 13.25 hours, the now straggling vessel was again torpedoed by the U-boat and sank 042° 240 miles from Smalls. Eight crew members were lost. The master, 24 crew members and one gunner were picked up by HMS Vansittart (D 64) (LtCdr R.G.K. Knowling, RN), which had sunk U-102 shortly after the last attack and landed the survivors in Plymouth on 4 July. Four of the survivors had been seriously injured during the attack and one of them died of wounds in a hospital. | ||
| On board | We have details of 10 people who were on board. | ||
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