Ships hit by U-boats


Calabria

Swedish Steam merchant



Photo courtesy of Sjöhistoriska Museet, Stockholm

NameCalabria
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage1,277 tons
Completed1916 - Oskarshamns Varf AB, Oskarshamn 
OwnerRederi-A/B Svenska Lloyd, Gothenburg 
HomeportGothenburg 
Date of attack22 Jun 1941Nationality:      Swedish
 
FateSunk by U-141 (Philipp Schüler)
Position55° 57'N, 9° 15'W - Grid AM 5255
Complement24 (3 dead and 21 survivors).
ConvoySL-76 (straggler)
RoutePort Harcourt - Freetown (31 May) - Belfast - Bromborough Port - Methil - Hull 
Cargo1470 tons of palm kernels and 200 tons of copra 
History Completed in June 1916 
Notes on event

At 03.29 hours on 22 June 1941 the unarmed Calabria (Master John Godfrid Olsson), a straggler from station #115 in convoy SL-76 due to a foul bottom since 4 June, was hit on the starboard side aft of amidships by one torpedo from U-141 and sank by the stern after 30 minutes about 100 miles 280° from Inishtrahull Lightship. The ship had been missed with the first two torpedoes at 00.27 and 02.13 hours. Three crew members on watch below were killed by the explosion. All survivors, four of them injured, abandoned ship in the port lifeboat about ten minutes after the hit because the starboard boat had been damaged. While the lifeboat sailed for the nearby coast, they observed an outbound convoy and twice spotted an aircraft without being able to attract attention until a third aircraft finally saw them about three miles off land and alerted the destroyers HMS Cossack (F 03) (Capt P.L. Vian, DSO, RN) and HMS Sikh (F 82) (Cdr G.H. Stokes, RN), which were on an anti-submarine patrol in the area and had inspected the Swedish ship a few days before the attack. At 23.00 hours on 23 June, the survivors were picked up by the latter about 1,5 miles from Inishtrahull, transferred to HMS Guardian (T 89) (A/Capt H.A.C. Lane, RN) at Moville and eventually landed at Londonderry.

 
On boardWe have details of 8 people who were on board


If you can help us with any additional information on this vessel then please contact us.

Return to Allied Ships hit by U-boats