Rodney Star
Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart
| Name | Rodney Star | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 11.803 tons | ||
| Completed | 1927 - Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow | ||
| Owner | Blue Star Line Ltd, London | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 16 May, 1941 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-105 (Georg Schewe) | ||
| Position | 05.03N, 19.02W - Grid ET 7133 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 83 (0 dead and 83 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Fray Bentos, Uruguay - Santos - Freetown - Glasgow | ||
| Cargo | 7000 tons of refrigerated and general cargo | ||
| History | Built as Rodneystar, 1929 renamed Rodney Star | ||
| Notes on loss | At 05.48 hours on 16 May, 1941, the unescorted Rodney Star (Master Samuel John Clement) was hit in the stern by one of two torpedoes from U-105 about 420 miles west-southwest of Freetown. The ship was hit in the bow and amidships by two coups de grāce at 06.20 and 07.46 hours, but remained afloat. The U-boat surfaced and fired 91 high explosive rounds and 22 incendiary rounds from the deck gun into the waterline. Shortly before the ship sank by the stern in 05°08N/19°15W at 09.30 hours, a shell exploded in the barrel which was tore apart and wounded six men of the gun crew. The survivors were picked up after six days by HMS Boreas (H 77) (LtCdr D.H. Maitland-Makgill Crichton) and Batna and landed at Takoradi on 23 May. | ||
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