Ships hit by U-boats


Fort Howe

British Steam merchant


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NameFort Howe
Type:Steam merchant (North Sands)
Tonnage7,133 tons
Completed1942 - Burrard Dry Dock Co, North Vancouver BC 
OwnerF.C. Strick & Co Ltd, London 
HomeportLondon 
Date of attack1 Oct 1943Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-410 (Horst-Arno Fenski)
Position37° 19'N, 6° 40'E - Grid CJ 7718
Complement70 (2 dead and 68 survivors).
ConvoyMKS-26
RouteSalerno (beachhead) - UK 
CargoBallast 
History Completed in November 1942 for US War Shipping Administration (WSA), lend-leased on bareboat charter to British Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). 
Notes on event

At 00.05 hours on 1 Oct 1943, U-410 fired five single torpedoes at convoy MKS-26 east of Bougie and observed one ship sinking and heard four more detonations. The resulting report indicated the sinking or torpedoing of four ships totalling 31.000 tons. In fact, two ships were sunk, the Fort Howe and Empire Commerce.

The master, 49 crew members and 18 gunners from Fort Howe (Master William Williams) were picked up by HMS Spiraea (K 08) (Lt A.H. Pierce, OBE, RNR) and HMS Alisma (K 185) (Lt G. Lanning, RANVR) and landed at Bougie respectively at Algiers. Two gunners were lost.

 
On boardWe have details of 3 people who were on board


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