Ships hit by U-boats


HMS Malaya (01)

British Battleship



Photo courtesy of Paul Johnson Collection

NameHMS Malaya (01)
Type:Battleship (Queen Elizabeth)
Tonnage31,100 tons
Completed1916 - Sir W.G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co Ltd, Newcastle-upon-Tyne 
OwnerThe Admiralty 
Homeport 
Date of attack20 Mar 1941Nationality:      British
 
FateDamaged by U-106 (Jürgen Oesten)
Position20° 02'N, 25° 50'W - Grid DT 7643
Complement? men (0 dead and ? survivors).
ConvoySL-68
RouteGibraltar (13 Mar) - UK 
Cargo 
History Completed in February 1916 
Notes on event

At 23.23 hours on 20 March 1941, U-106 attacked the shadow of a merchant ship with a spread of two stern torpedoes in bad light from the port side of convoy SL-68 about 250 miles west-northwest of the Cape Verde Islands. Oesten heard hits after 2 minutes 37 seconds and 3 minutes 35 seconds. One torpedo damaged HMS Malaya (01) and the other the Meerkerk.

HMS Malaya (01) (Capt A.F.E. Palliser, DSC, RN) was hit by the torpedo on the port side, causing considerable damage. Due to the flooding of some rooms the ship took a list of 7 degrees and was forced to leave convoy and head for Trinidad, escorted by HMS Crocus (K 49) (LtCdr E. Wheeler, RNR) until 23 March. On 29 March, the battleship arrived at Port of Spain and after temporary repairs continued to the New York Navy Yard, where the battleship was docked for 4 months. On 9 July, the ship left for the Clyde, arriving on 28 July.

 
More infoMore on this vessel 
On boardWe have details of 4 people who were on board


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