City of Canton
British Steam merchant
Name | City of Canton | ||
Type: | Steam merchant | ||
Tonnage | 6,692 tons | ||
Completed | 1916 - Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Wallsend, Sunderland | ||
Owner | Ellerman Lines Ltd, London | ||
Homeport | Liverpool | ||
Date of attack | 17 Jul 1943 | Nationality: British | |
Fate | Sunk by U-178 (Wilhelm Dommes) | ||
Position | 13° 52'S, 41° 10'E - Grid LT 8574 | ||
Complement | 93 (7 dead and 86 survivors). | ||
Convoy | |||
Route | Liverpool - Beira (14 Jul) - Mombasa | ||
Cargo | 2000 tons of general cargo and 4500 tons of coal | ||
History | Completed in September 1916 | ||
Notes on event | At 00.01 hours on 17 July 1943 the unescorted City of Canton (Master Edward Scrymgeour) was hit by one of two G7a torpedoes from U-178 northeast of Beira. The U-boat had chased the ship since 18 hours, almost loosing her in a rain squall and missing with a spread of two G7e torpedoes at 15.26 hours on 16 July. 15 minutes after the hit a first coup de grĂ¢ce was fired which malfunctioned, but a second hit amidships at 00.31 hours and caused the ship to sink after breaking in two. The Germans questioned the survivors in two lifeboats and took the second officer Reginald Marry Broadbent as prisoner aboard, because the master could not be found. Seven crew members of the 82 crew members and eleven gunners aboard were lost. Most survivors made landfall in two lifeboats near Pinta lighthouse in Portuguese East Africa. Twelve survivors were picked up by the Portuguese steam passenger ship Luabo and landed in Almino. The master and one crew member were picked up from a raft by FFL Suffren and landed at Durban on 26 July. | ||
On board | We have details of 11 people who were on board. |
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