Ships hit by U-boats


Calabria

British Steam passenger ship



Photo from naviearmatori.net

NameCalabria
Type:Steam passenger ship
Tonnage9,515 tons
Completed1923 - AG Weser, Bremen 
OwnerBritish India Steam Navigation Co Ltd, London 
HomeportLondon 
Date of attack8 Dec 1940Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-103 (Viktor Schütze)
Position52° 43'N, 18° 07'W - Grid AL 9612
Complement360 (360 dead - no survivors)
ConvoySLS-56 (straggler)
RouteCalcutta - Freetown - Belfast - Liverpool 
Cargo4000 tons of iron, 3050 tons of tea and 1870 tons of oilcake 
History Completed in January 1923 as Werra for Norddeutscher Lloyd, Bremen. In August 1935 sold to Italy and renamed Calabria for Società Anonima di Navigazione Lloyd Triestino, Trieste. On 11 Jun 1940, seized by Britian in the dry dock of Calcutta and was transferred to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). The name Empire Inventor was allocated, but she was lost before being renamed. 
Notes on event

At 20.58 hours on 8 Dec 1940 the Calabria (Master David Lonie), a straggler from convoy SLS-56, was hit by two torpedoes from U-103 295 miles 262° from Slyne Head, Co. Galway. She sank after being hit by a coup de grâce at 21.06 hours. There were no survivors: the master, 128 crew members, one gunner and 230 Indian seamen (crews for other ships) were lost.

 
On boardWe have details of 219 people who were on board


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