Italian submarine fates

Ships hit by Italian submarines


Clan Macquarrie

TypeCargo ship
CountryBritish British
Built1913GRT5,060

Date of attack13 Jun 1942Time1220-1258
FateSunk by submarine Leonardo da Vinci (C.C. Luigi Longanesi Cattani)
Position of attack5° 15'N, 25° 55'W
Complement93 (1 dead and 92 survivors)
Convoy
Notes At 0830 hours, a merchant vessel was sighted. She was armed with two stern guns. Shortly after, Da Vinci, proceeding on the surface, fired a fan of four stern torpedoes from 2,200 metres. One hit and damaged the vessel and she was abandoned. The submarine submerged to observe the result.

This was the British Clan Macquarrie (5,060 GRT, built 1913) in ballast, proceeding from Durban to New York.

At 1153 hours, a fifth torpedo (450mm, A 115 type) was fired from 500 metres. It missed.

At 1200 hours, Da Vinci surfaced and opened fire from a distance of 3,000 metres and, at 1258 hours, the vessel sank.

There were 92 survivors in three lifeboats. Twenty-eight survivors (the chief engineer died in this lifeboat and was the only victim), were picked up by the Norwegian steamer Glarona and landed at Port of Spain. The 63 survivors in the other two lifeboats were picked up by Desirade and landed at Capetown.

Position of attack

Ships hit by Italian submarines