Thistlegarth
Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart
| Name | Thistlegarth | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 4.747 tons | ||
| Completed | 1929 - Sir James Laing & Sons Ltd, Sunderland | ||
| Owner | Allan, Black & Co, Sunderland | ||
| Homeport | Sunderland | ||
| Date of attack | 15 Oct, 1940 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-103 (Viktor Schütze) | ||
| Position | 58.43N, 15W - Grid AL 3639 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 39 (30 dead and 9 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | OB-227 (dispersed) | ||
| Route | Scapa Flow (13 Oct) - Father Point, New Brunswick | ||
| Cargo | Ballast | ||
| History | | ||
| Notes on loss | At 19.33 hours on 15 Oct, 1940, the Thistlegarth (Master Donald Plummer, MM), dispersed from convoy OB-227, was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-103 45 miles west-northwest of Rockall. Initially the crew abandoned ship due to the list, but reboarded the vessel when it remained afloat. The U-boat surfaced and opened fire with the deck gun, but had to cease fire after three rounds and crash dive due to return fire. The ship sank in two minutes after being hit by a coup de grāce. The master, 28 crew members and one gunner were lost. Nine crew members were picked up by HMS Heartsease (K 15) (LtCdr E.J.R. North). | ||
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