HMS Manistee (F 104)
Photo courtesy of the Allen Collection
| Name | HMS Manistee (F 104) | ||
| Type: | Ocean boarding vessel (OBV) | ||
| Tonnage | 5.360 tons | ||
| Completed | 1920 - Cammell Laird & Co Ltd, Birkenhead | ||
| Owner | The Admiralty | ||
| Homeport | Liverpool | ||
| Date of attack | 23 Feb, 1941 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-107 (Günter Hessler) | ||
| Position | 58.13N, 21.33W - Grid AL 2598 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 141 (141 dead - no survivors) | ||
| Convoy | OB-288 (dispersed) | ||
| Route | Liverpool (18 Feb) - ? | ||
| Cargo | |||
| History | Completed in January 1921 At 14.14 hours on 7 Jul, 1940, the unescorted Manistee was shelled by U-99 (Kretschmer) southwest of Ireland, after a G7e torpedo missed the ship at 14.01 hours. The ship returned fire from two guns and forced the U-boat to break off the attack. No hits were scored in the gun duel. On 14 Sep, 1940, the British steam merchant Manistee of Elders & Fyffes Ltd, London was requisitioned by the Admiralty and commissioned in December 1940 as the ocean boarding vessel (OBV) HMS Manistee (F 104), armed with two 6in, one 12pdr and one AA guns. | ||
| Notes on loss | At 22.42 hours on 23 Feb, 1941, U-107 fired a spread of two torpedoes at HMS Manistee (F 104) (LtCdr Eric Haydn Smith, RNR) south of Iceland and scored a hit in the engine room. The ship had escorted the convoy OB-288 until it was dispersed at 21.00 hours the same day. She was also attacked by the Italian submarine Bianchi (Giovannini), which fired a torpedo at 22.56 hours, claimed a hit in the stern from a distance of 600 metres and then continued to chase other ships of the convoy. At 22.58 hours, U-107 fired two coups de grāce that missed because the ship suddenly continued. Also a stern torpedo fired at 23.42 hours missed because it was a surface-runner. The U-boat began a long chase of the zigzagging ship and fired two torpedoes at 07.58 hours on 24 February. One of them hit in the stern and caused the ship to sink in 58°55N/20°50W. HMS Churchill (I 45) was ordered to search for survivors, but found none. The commander, 18 officers and 122 ratings were lost. | ||
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