HMS Salopian (F 94)
Shropshire before conversion into HMS Salopian (F 94). Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart
| Name | HMS Salopian (F 94) | ||
| Type: | Armed Merchant Cruiser | ||
| Tonnage | 10.549 tons | ||
| Completed | 1926 - Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Glasgow | ||
| Owner | The Admiralty | ||
| Homeport | Liverpool | ||
| Date of attack | 13 May, 1941 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-98 (Robert Gysae) | ||
| Position | 59.04N, 38.15W - Grid AJ 3825 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | ? men (? dead and 278 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | SC-30 | ||
| Route | |||
| Cargo | |||
| History | In September 1939, the motor passenger ship Shropshire from Bibby Brothers & Co, Liverpool was requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted to the armed merchant cruiser HMS Salopian (F 94). | ||
| Notes on loss | At 04.00 hours on 13 May, 1941, the HMS Salopian (F 94) (Capt Sir John Meynell Alleyne, DSO, DSC, (retired), RN) was spotted by U-98 while escorting the convoy SC-30 about 400 miles southeast of Cape Farewell and missed with a first spread of two torpedoes because the ship zigzagged every 7 to 12 minutes. The next two torpedoes at 06.19 and 06.22 hours also missed and Gysae had to reload two bow tubes at the surface while running at high speed to search the vessel in the fog. At 07.20 hours, the heavy armed ship came in sight again and five minutes later both reloaded bow torpedoes were fired like in a motor torpedo boat on the surface. The torpedoes hit amidships and in the bow but the U-boat had to dive because the ship opened fire. At 08.00 and 08.50 hours, two torpedoes were fired that both hit in the engine room, but the ship remained afloat. The U-boat then reloaded the tubes and observed how more than ten boats were launched and a motor boat tried to cover the ship by laying a smoke screen. At 10.43 hours, a coup de grāce was fired that struck amidships and caused the ship to break in two and sink in two minutes in 56°43N/38°57W. Early on 14 May, HMS Inglefield (D 02) (Capt P. Todd, RN), HMS Intrepid (D 10) (Cdr R.G. Gordon, RN), HMS Impulsive (D 11) (LtCdr W.S. Thomas, RN) and HMS Escapade (H 17) (Cdr H.R. Graham, RN) arrived in the area and unsuccessfully searched for the U-boat. 278 officers and ratings were picked up by HMS Impulsive (D 11) and taken to Hvalfjord. | ||
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