Ships hit by U-boats


Harmatris

British Steam merchant



Photo courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart

NameHarmatris
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage5,395 tons
Completed1932 - Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow 
OwnerJ. & C. Harrison Ltd, London 
HomeportLondon 
Date of attack17 Jan 1942Nationality:      British
 
FateDamaged by U-454 (Burckhard Hackländer)
Position69° 16'N, 36° 08'E - Grid AC 8952
Complement47 (0 dead and 47 survivors).
ConvoyPQ-8
RouteGlasgow - Gourock (26 Dec) - Reykjavik (8 Jan) - Archangel 
Cargo6000 tons of military stores 
History Completed in May 1932. On 26 December 1943 the Harmatris collided with the British steam merchant Asian (2461 grt) in convoy MB-59 in position 07°45N/77°40E off Ceylon and was damaged. The other ship sank with 28 casualties, 14 survivors were rescued.

Post-war:
1951 renamed Choko for Wheelock, Marden & Co Ltd, Hong Kong. 1952 sold to Japan and renamed Choko Maru for Sanko Kisen KK, Amagasaki. 1955 sold to Hakodate Kokai Gyogyo KK, Hakodate. Broken up at Shodoshima in April 1964. 
Notes on event

At 18.46 hours on 17 January 1942 the Harmatris (Master Robert William Brundle), ship of convoy commodore in convoy PQ-8, was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-454 off the Kola Peninsula and caught fire. The crew of 40 men and seven gunners managed to extinguish the fire and proceeded with the assistance of HMS Speedwell (J 87) (LtCdr J.J. Youngs, OBE, RNR). The ship was subsequently taken in tow by Soviet tugs and reached Murmansk on 20 January.

After temporary repairs the Harmatris left North Russia in convoy QP-14 in September 1942, was repaired at the Tyne and returned to service in February 1943.

 
On boardWe have details of 6 people who were on board


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Media links


Arctic Convoy PQ8

Michael Wadsworth


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