Abbotsford
Abbotsford under her former name Cyrille Danneels. Photo courtesy of Yorkshire Waterways Museum
| Name | Abbotsford | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 1,585 tons | ||
| Completed | 1924 - Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole | ||
| Owner | George Gibson & Co Ltd, Leith | ||
| Homeport | Grangemouth | ||
| Date of attack | 9 Mar 1940 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-14 (Herbert Wohlfarth) | ||
| Position | Grid AN 8733 - See estimated map location (51.21N02.55E) * | ||
| Complement | 19 (19 dead - no survivors) | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Ghent - Grangemouth | ||
| Cargo | Steel and flax | ||
| History | Completed in October 1924 as Cyrille Danneels for Buck Steam Shipping & Coal Exports, Goole. 1932 renamed Abbotsford for George Gibson & Co Ltd, Leith. | ||
| Notes on loss | At 23.30 hours on 9 Mar, 1940, the Abbotsford was hit in the foreship by one G7e torpedo from U-14 north of Zeebrugge and caught fire. The Akeld was ahead of the vessel and apparently turned around to help the torpedoed ship, but at 23.45 hours was struck herself amidships by a G7a torpedo from the same U-boat and sank within seconds. At 23.55 hours, the first ship was sunk by a coup de grāce. The master, 17 crew members and one gunner from the Abbotsford (Master Alexander John Watson) were lost. | ||
* Estimated position shown here is based on positions of losses in a roughly the same German grid code. It may be a bit off but should give a good idea as to where the attack took place.
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