Ships hit by U-boats


Port Hardy

British Steam merchant



Photo courtesy of Allan C. Green Collection

NamePort Hardy
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage8,897 tons
Completed1923 - R. & W. Hawthorn, Leslie & Co Ltd, Hebburn-on-Tyne 
OwnerPort Line Ltd, London 
HomeportLondon 
Date of attack28 Apr 1941Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-96 (Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock)
Position60° 14'N, 15° 20'W - Grid AL 3437
Complement98 (1 dead and 97 survivors).
ConvoyHX-121
RouteWellington - Panama - Halifax (16 Apr) - Ellesmere Port - Avonmouth 
Cargo4000 tons of mutton, 3000 tons of cheese, 700 tons of zinc and general cargo 
History Completed in February 1923 
Notes on event

At 19.25 hours on 28 April 1941, U-96 fired three single torpedoes at three tankers in convoy HX-121 south of Iceland and reported the sinking of two tankers with 18,000 grt and damaging another with 6000 grt after observing three hits. The tankers Oilfield and Caledonia were sunk and the freighter Port Hardy was hit and sunk after the torpedo had missed the intended target.

The Port Hardy (Master John Godfrey Lewis) was hit on the port side abaft the main mast by one torpedo and sank after about three hours about 165 miles north-northwest of Rockall. One crew member was lost. The master, 82 crew members, four gunners and ten passengers were picked up by the British rescue ship Zaafaran (Master Charles Kavanagh McGowan, DSC) and landed at Greenock on 1 May.

 
On boardWe have details of 4 people who were on board


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