Friar Rock
Panamanian Steam merchant
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| Name | Friar Rock | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 5,427 tons | ||
| Completed | 1921 - Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino, Trieste | ||
| Owner | Waterman Steamship Co, Mobile AL | ||
| Homeport | Panama | ||
| Date of attack | 13 Jan 1942 | Nationality:  Panamanian | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-130 (Ernst Kals) | ||
| Position | 45.30N, 50.40W - Grid BB 5898 | ||
| Complement | 37 (31 dead and 6 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | SC-64 (straggler) | ||
| Route | New York - Sydney (9 Jan) - Loch Ewe - Archangel | ||
| Cargo | General cargo and government stores | ||
| History | Completed in May 1921 as Italian Arsa for Societą Anonima di Navigazione Italia, Genoa. On 10 Jun, 1940 the Arsa was interned at New York. On 6 Jun, 1941 seized by the US government under an Executive order, renamed Friar Rock by the US War Shipping Administration and registered in Panama. On 11 Oct, 1941 assigned to Waterman SS Co at New York under a GAA agreement. | ||
| Notes on loss | At 09.48 hours on 13 Jan, 1942, the unescorted and unarmed Friar Rock (Master Eric G. Stolt) was hit under the foremost hatches by one torpedo from U-130 and stopped about 110 miles southwest of Cape Race, Newfoundland. The ship had left Sydney in convoy SC-64 on 9 January and was apparently returning to the port after straggling from the convoy. At 10.32 hours, a first coup de grāce was fired from a stern tube but it missed because the ship suddenly moved again. A second coup de grāce fired 10 minutes later hit between bridge and funnel and caused the ship to sink quickly by the bow in 45°51N/50°52W. Only seven survivors were rescued by HMS Montgomery (G 95) (LtCdr W.L. Puxley, RN) on 17 January. One of them, the second mate, died ashore. | ||
| Crewlists | We have listing of 31 people who were on this vessel | ||
Location of attack on Friar Rock.
ship sunk.
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