Ships hit by U-boats


New Sevilla

British Whale factory ship



Photo courtesy of Rick Cox Collection

NameNew Sevilla
Type:Whale factory ship
Tonnage13,801 tons
Completed1900 - Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast 
OwnerChristian Salvesen & Co, Edinburgh 
HomeportJersey 
Date of attack20 Sep 1940Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-138 (Wolfgang Lüth)
Position55° 50'N, 7° 30'W - Grid AM 5365
Complement284 (2 dead and 282 survivors).
ConvoyOB-216
RouteLiverpool - Aruba - South Georgia 
CargoWhaling stores and ballast 
History Completed in December 1912 as steam passenger ship Runic for White Star Ltd (Oceanic Steam Navigation Co), Liverpool. 1930 converted to the whale factory ship New Sevilla for Christian Salvesen & Co, Edinburgh. 
Notes on event

Between 21.20 and 21.26 hours on 20 Sep 1940, U-138 fired torpedoes at convoy OB-216 52 miles northwest of Rathlin Island and reported three ships totalling 20,000 grt sunk. The three ships sunk were New Sevilla, Boka and City of Simla.

The New Sevilla (Master Richard Black Chisholm) was taken in tow, but sank the next day 9 miles from the Mull of Kintyre in 55°48N/07°22W. Two crew members were lost. The master and 22 crew members were picked up by HMS Arabis (K 73) (LtCdr B. Blewitt, RNR) and landed at Liverpool. 44 crew members were picked up by the Icelandic trawler Belgaum and later transferred to the Industria, which had already picked up 215 crew members and landed at Belfast.

 
On boardWe have details of 10 people who were on board


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