Ships hit by U-boats


Alegrete

Brazilian Steam merchant



Photo courtesy of Mauricio de Carvalho

NameAlegrete
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage5,970 tons
Completed1906 - Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast 
OwnerCia de Navegação Lloyd Brasileiro, Rio de Janeiro 
HomeportRio de Janeiro 
Date of attack1 Jun 1942Nationality:      Brazilian
 
FateSunk by U-156 (Werner Hartenstein)
Position13° 40'N, 61° 30'W - Grid ED 6851
Complement64 (0 dead and 64 survivors).
Convoy
RouteBelém, Pará - New Orleans 
CargoGeneral cargo, including coffee, cacao, castor oil and 5000 boxes of chestnut 
History Completed in September 1906 as Salamanca for Hamburg-Amerika Linie (HAPAG), Hamburg. In August 1914 interned in Cabedelo, Brazil. On 1 Jun 1917, seized by the Brazilian Government after several Brazilian merchants had been torpedoed by German U-boats and renamed Alegrete. She was used as training ship for the Brazilian Merchant Marine from 1936 to 1940. 
Notes on event

At 23.51 hours on 1 June 1942 the neutral Alegrete (Master Eurico Gomes de Souza) was hit on the port side at hold #5 by a stern torpedo from U-156 between St. Lucia and St. Vincent. The Brazilian flag was only visible from a distance of about 300 metres. At 02.12 hours, the U-boat began shelling the abandoned ship with 20 high-explosive rounds from the deck gun and caused her to sink in flames at 03.00 hours.

All hands abandoned ship in four lifeboats and three of them reached Port of Spain, Trinidad, La Guaira, Venezuela and La Blanquilla Island, Venezuela. On 2 June 19 survivors in the fourth boat were picked up by USS Tarbell (DD 142).

 
On boardWe have details of 1 people who were on board


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