Ships hit by U-boats


Meyer London

American Steam merchant



NameMeyer London
Type:Steam merchant (Liberty)
Tonnage7,210 tons
Completed1944 - Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyards Inc, Baltimore MD 
OwnerT.J. Stevenson & Co Inc, New York 
HomeportBaltimore 
Date of attack16 Apr 1944Nationality:      American
 
FateSunk by U-407 (Hubertus Korndörfer)
Position32° 51'N, 23° 00'E - Grid CO 5822
Complement72 (0 dead and 72 survivors).
ConvoyUGS-37
RoutePhiladelphia - Norfolk (24 Mar) - Abadan, Iran 
Cargo7800 tons of general military stores and a deck cargo of crated aircraft 
History Completed February 1944 
Notes on event

At 18.20 hours on 16 April 1944, U-407 fired a spread of three torpedoes at three overlapping steamers in convoy UGS-37 about 17 miles off Derna and heard two detonations. The Meyer London in station #12 and Thomas G. Masaryk in station #23 were hit by one torpedo each.

The Meyer London (Master Fred Harry Rylander) was struck by the torpedo on the port side at the #5 hatch below the after magazine. The explosion blew a large column of oil and water over the stern, demolished the gun crew quarters, injured the men standing watch on the after gun, blew off the screw and rudder and left the fantail hanging at a 15° angle. The ship, now out of control, nearly collided with the other torpedoed ship. missing by only 20 feet. The eight officers, 37 crewmen and 27 armed guards (the ship was armed with one 5in, one 3in and eight 20mm guns) abandoned ship in four lifeboats, were picked up after one hour by HMS La Malouine (K 46) (Lt W.A. Ives, RNR) and taken to Port Said and Alexandria. The badly damaged ship sank by the stern at 19.35 hours.

 
On boardWe have details of 1 people who were on board


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