Ships hit by U-boats


HMS Ariguani (F 105)

British Fighter catapult ship



NameHMS Ariguani (F 105)
Type:Fighter catapult ship (Pegasus)
Tonnage6,746 tons
Completed1926 - A. Stephen & Sons Ltd, Linthouse, Glasgow 
OwnerThe Admiralty 
HomeportGlasgow 
Date of attack26 Oct 1941Nationality:      British
 
FateDamaged by U-83 (Hans-Werner Kraus)
Position37° 50'N, 16° 10'W - Grid CF 6945
Complement? men (2 dead and ? survivors).
ConvoyHG-75
RouteGibraltar - Liverpool 
Cargo 
History Completed in February 1926 as steam merchant Ariguani for Elders & Fyffes Ltd, London. In September 1940 requisitioned by the Admiralty as ocean boarding vessel (OBV) and in early 1941 converted to a fighter catapult ship (FCS) of the Pegasus-class, a predecessor of the CAM-ships.

Post-war:
1946 returned to owner. Broken up at Briton Ferry in November 1956. 
Notes on event

At 03.54 hours on 26 Oct 1941, U-83 fired three torpedoes at convoy HG-75 and saw three detonations and columns of fire between running times of 4 minutes 28 seconds and 5 minutes. Kraus claimed three ships sunk with 18.000 tons. In fact, only HMS Ariguani (F 105) (Cdr R.A. Thornburn, RNR, (retired)) was damaged by one torpedo. The vessel was abandoned, later reboarded and HMS Vidette (D 48) (LtCdr E.N. Walmsley, RN) tried to take her in tow. The fighter catapult ship was towed to Gibraltar by HMS Thames and HMS Rollicker (W 00), arriving on 2 November, escorted by HMS Jonquil (K 68) (LtCdr R.E.H. Partington, RNR), HMS Heliotrope (K 03) (LtCdr J. Jackson, RNR) and HMS Campion (K 108) (LtCdr A. Johnson, RNVR).

Two days before, Commandant Duboc had transferred 18 survivors from the Carsbreck to HMS Ariguani (F 105). The ship had been sunk by U-564 (Suhren) that day. These men were picked up by HMS Campion (K 108) after they abandoned the fighter catapult ship and were later transferred to HMS Vidette (D 48) and landed at Gibraltar.

The badly damaged HMS Ariguani (F 105) was decommissioned, transferred to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and laid up at Gibraltar. Only much later temporary repairs were made and the ship towed by HMS Samsonia (W 23) to the Clyde in February 1943, arriving at the Tyne for repairs on 22 March. Reverted to a merchant, she returned to service in January 1944.

 
On boardWe have details of 7 people who were on board


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