Ships hit by U-boats


Oligarch

British Fleet oiler


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NameOligarch
Type:Fleet oiler (Ol)
Tonnage6,894 tons
Completed1918 - Workman, Clark & Co Ltd, Belfast 
OwnerThe Admiralty (Royal Fleet Auxiliary), London 
HomeportLondon 
Date of attack30 Jun 1943Nationality:      British
 
FateDamaged by U-453 (Egon Reiner Freiherr von Schlippenbach)
Position32° 57'N, 21° 10'E - Grid CO 5712
Complement? men (? dead and ? survivors).
ConvoyGTX-3
RouteGibraltar (21 Jun) - Port Said 
CargoAdmiralty fuel oil 
History Completed in August 1918 as steam tanker British Lantern for the Shipping Controller, London. 1937 sold to the Admiralty and converted to the fleet oiler Oligarch. She served in some convoys on the route to Murmansk, for this she was fitted with a dummy funnel.

Post-war:
On 14 April 1946 the Oligarch was scuttled in the Red Sea on position 27°30N/34°45E, loaded with obsolete ammunition and poison gas shells.

 
Notes on event

At 22.57 hours on 30 June 1943, U-453 fired a spread of four torpedoes at three ships of convoy GTX-3 about 40 miles northwest of Derna, observed one hit and heard three detonations. Only the Oligarch (Master Thomas Elder) was damaged in this attack, but managed to reach Tobruk. The fleet oiler proceeded to Alexandria for repairs in September 1943 and returned to service.

 
On boardWe have details of 3 people who were on board


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