Ships hit by U-boats


Mount Taygetus

Greek Steam merchant



Photo courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart

NameMount Taygetus
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage3,286 tons
Completed1921 - New York Harbor & Dry Dock Corp, Port Jefferson NY 
OwnerKulukundis Shipping Co SA, Piræus 
HomeportPiræus 
Date of attack7 Sep 1942Nationality:      Greek
 
FateSunk by U-517 (Paul Hartwig)
Position48° 50'N, 63° 46'W - Grid BB 1842
Complement28 (5 dead and 23 survivors).
ConvoyQS-33
RouteMontreal (4 Sep) - Father Point - Sydney, CB - UK 
Cargo4440 tons of general cargo and 8 tanks as deck cargo 
History Launched as Beezeelake for US Shipping Board (USSB), completed in June 1921 as Redman for Munson SS Line Inc, New York. 1930 renamed Mundixie for the same owner. 1940 sold to Greece and renamed Mount Taygetus for Kulukundis Shipping Co SA, Piræus. 
Notes on event

Between 23.01 and 23.02 hours on 7 September 1942 U-517 fired one stern torpedo and a spread of two bow torpedoes at three of the four ships in convoy QS-33 from between its columns about 16 miles east of Cape Gaspé and sank the Mount Pindus, Oakton and Mount Taygetus.

The Mount Taygetus (Master John Simigalalas) in station #41 was struck on the port side between the boiler and engine room by the second bow torpedo. The chief engineer and four other crew members on watch below were killed. Most of the crew members and gunners (the ship was armed with four machine guns) abandoned ship in the starboard lifeboat because the port boat had been blown into the #5 hold by the torpedo explosion. Others were forced to jump overboard when the ship sank rapidly about five minutes after being hit and swam to rafts that had been released. The survivors were subsequently picked up by the Canadian motor launch HMCS Q-083 (Lt W.M. Grand, RCNVR) and landed at Gaspé.

 
On boardWe have details of 1 people who were on board


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