Athelviking
British Motor tanker
Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart
| Name | Athelviking | ||
| Type: | Motor tanker | ||
| Tonnage | 8,779 tons | ||
| Completed | 1926 - Furness Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Haverton Hill, Middlesbrough | ||
| Owner | United Molasses Co Ltd, London | ||
| Homeport | Liverpool | ||
| Date of attack | 14 Jan 1945 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-1232 (Kurt Dobratz) | ||
| Position | 44.28N, 63.28W - Grid BB 7527 | ||
| Complement | 51 (4 dead and 47 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | BX-141 | ||
| Route | Port Everglades, Florida - Boston - UK | ||
| Cargo | 11.630 tons of molasses and 14 landing craft on deck | ||
| History | Completed in April 1926 as Norwegian Java for A/S J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi, Bergen. 1933 renamed Athelviking for United Molasses Co Ltd, London. On 13 Mar, 1940, the British steam merchant Rossington Court (6922 grt) collided with the Athelviking and sank about 600 miles east of Halifax. | ||
| Notes on loss | At 10.35 hours on 14 Jan, 1945, U-1232 attacked the convoy BX-141 east of Halifax, sank the British Freedom and badly damaged the Martin Van Buren six minutes later. The U-boat then sank the Athelviking and missed HMCS Ettrick (K 254). Dobratz reported sinking four ships totalling 30.400 grt. The master and three crew members from the Athelviking (Master Egerton Gabriel B. Martin, OBE) were lost. 39 crew members and eight gunners were picked up by the Canadian motor launch HMCS ML-102 (Lt J.K. Macdonald) and landed at Halifax. | ||
Location of attack on Athelviking.
ship sunk.
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