Waiotira
Photo courtesy of shawsavillships.co.uk
| Name | Waiotira | ||
| Type: | Motor merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 12.823 tons | ||
| Completed | 1939 - Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast | ||
| Owner | Shaw, Savill & Albion Co Ltd, London | ||
| Homeport | Southampton | ||
| Date of attack | 27 Dec, 1940 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-38 (Heinrich Liebe) | ||
| Position | 58.10N, 16.56W - Grid AL 3687 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 90 (1 dead and 89 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Sydney, NSW - Panama - UK | ||
| Cargo | 7000 tons of refrigerated and general cargo | ||
| History | Completed in November 1939 | ||
| Notes on loss | At 20.03 hours on 26 Dec, 1940, the unescorted Waiotira (Master Arthur V. Richardson) was hit in the bow by one torpedo from U-95 (Schreiber) when steaming at about 16 knots 124 miles west by north of Rockall in 58°05N/17°10W. The ship was missed by a second torpedo at 20.07 hours, but hit aft by a third torpedo at 20.18 hours. The U-boat then left the area because three destroyers had been spotted during the attack. The stopped Waiotira was located by U-38 during the night and hit underneath the bridge by a coup de grāce at 01.46 hours on 27 December. Also this U-boat left the area before the ship sank because a destroyer was approaching, but the vessel sank a few hours later. One passenger was lost. The master, 78 crew members and ten passengers were picked up by HMS Mashona (F 59) (Cdr W.H. Selby, RN) and landed at Greenock on 28 December. | ||
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