HMS Forfar (F 30)
HMS Forfar under her former name Montrose. Photo courtesy of the Allen Collection
| Name | HMS Forfar (F 30) | ||
| Type: | Armed Merchant Cruiser | ||
| Tonnage | 16.402 tons (one of the largest ships sunk). | ||
| Completed | 1922 - Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Glasgow | ||
| Owner | The Admiralty | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 2 Dec, 1940 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer) | ||
| Position | 54.35N, 18.18W - Grid AL 6581 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 193 (172 dead and 21 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | HX-90 | ||
| Route | |||
| Cargo | |||
| History | Laid down as steam passenger ship Montmorency, completed in March 1922 as Montrose for Canadian Pacific Steamships Ltd, Montreal. On 4 Sep, 1939, the Montrose was requisitioned by the Royal Navy as armed merchant cruiser HMS Forfar (F 30). The conversion was completed in November 1939 and the ship was assigned to the Northern Patrol. | ||
| Notes on loss | At 05.46 hours on 2 Dec, 1940, the HMS Forfar (F 30) (Capt N.A.C. Hardy, RN) was hit by one torpedo from U-99 after she had just left the convoy HX-90 bound for OB-251 about 500 miles west of Ireland. She finally sank at 06.57 hours, after four additional torpedo hits at 06.39, 06.43, 06.50 and 06.57 hours. The master, 35 officers and 136 naval ratings were lost. Three officers and 18 naval ratings were rescued by HMCS St. Laurent (H 83) (Lt H.S. Rayner, RCN), HMS Viscount (D 92) (LtCdr M.S. Townsend, OBE DSC) and the British merchant Dursley and landed at Oban. | ||
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