Chulmleigh
British Steam merchant
Photo courtesy of Dmitriy A. Sidorov
| Name | Chulmleigh | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 5,445 tons | ||
| Completed | 1938 - William Pickersgill & Sons Ltd, Sunderland | ||
| Owner | W.J. Tatem Ltd, Cardiff | ||
| Homeport | London | ||
| Date of attack | 6 Nov 1942 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-625 (Hans Benker) | ||
| Position | 76° 27'N, 15° 50'E - Grid AB 3281 | ||
| Complement | 58 (45 dead and 13 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Methil (23 Sep) - Loch Ewe - Reykjavik (31 Oct) - Archangelsk | ||
| Cargo | Government stores | ||
| History | Completed in May 1938 | ||
| Notes on event | On 5 November 1942 the unescorted Chulmleigh (Master Daniel Morley Williams) was bombed and damaged by a German Ju88 aircraft of II./KG 30 from Banak, Norway and beached about 10 miles southwest of South Cape, Spitsbergen. At 15.58 hours on 6 November, U-625 fired a spread of two G7e torpedoes at the stranded Chulmleigh, scored one hit and completed the destruction of the vessel with gunfire. Later the wreck was again bombed by a Ju88. The master, three crew members and nine gunners survived. 36 crew members and nine gunners were lost, many died of frostbite. The crew landed on an isolated part of Spitzbergen and were not rescued until 4 January, by troops from the local garrison at Barentsburg. The survivors eventually boarded the cruisers HMS Bermuda (52) (Capt T.H. Back, RN) and HMS Cumberland (57) (Capt A.H. Maxwell-Hyslop, AM, RN) and landed at Thurso on 16 May 1943. | ||
| On board | We have details of 51 people who were on board. | ||
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