Eleni Stathatou
Eleni Stathatou under her former name Lancaster Castle. Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart
| Name | Eleni Stathatou | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 5.625 tons | ||
| Completed | 1919 - Northumberland Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Howden-on-Tyne | ||
| Owner | Demetrios Denys Stathatos, Anthony D. Stathatos and others, Athens | ||
| Homeport | Ithaca | ||
| Date of attack | 28 Jan, 1940 | Nationality:  Greek | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-34 (Wilhelm Rollmann) | ||
| Position | 48.49N, 08.34W - Grid BF 1863 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | ? men (12 dead and ? survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Newport - Gulf ports | ||
| Cargo | Ballast | ||
| History | Launched as British War Terrace, completed in August 1919 as Lancaster Castle for Lancashire Shipping Co (J. Chambers), Liverpool. 1936 renamed Seapharer for Seafarers SS Ltd (Stathatos & Co), London. 1938 renamed Eleni Stathatou for D.D. Stathatos, Ithaca. | ||
| Notes on loss | At 02.52 hours on 28 Jan, 1940, the unescorted Eleni Stathatou (Master Dimitri Gratsos) was hit near the bridge by one stern torpedo from U-34 about 200 miles west of the Scilly Isles. Because the U-boat had only one torpedo left they waited nearby for the stopped vessel to sink, but after one hour the ship moved again. At 04.21 hours, the last torpedo was fired that hit in the forward part and caused the ship to sink slowly. | ||
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