Ships hit by U-boats


British Promise

British Motor tanker



Photo courtesy of the Allen Collection

NameBritish Promise
Type:Motor tanker
Tonnage8,443 tons
Completed1942 - Cammell Laird & Co Ltd, Birkenhead 
OwnerBritish Tanker Co Ltd, London 
HomeportLondon 
Date of attack21 Nov 1942Nationality:      British
 
FateDamaged by U-518 (Friedrich-Wilhelm Wissmann)
Position43° 53'N, 55° 02'W - Grid BB 9515
Complement61 (0 dead and 61 survivors).
ConvoyON-145
RouteLiverpool - New York 
CargoBallast 
History Completed in November 1942

Post-war:
On 20 Feb 1959, sold for scrapping and arrived four days later at Rosyth to be broken up.

 
Notes on event

At 04.16 hours on 21 Nov 1942, U-518 fired a spread of two stern torpedoes at two overlapping steamers in convoy ON-145, at 04.24 hours one single bow torpedo at a special ship and one minute later a spread of two bow torpedoes at one of the biggest ships about 200 miles southeast of Sydney, Nova Scotia. Wissmann could not observe the results as he was forced to crash dive after the attack, but heard three detonations and claimed the sinking of two ships. In fact, the British Promise in station #61, the British Renown in station #71 and the Empire Sailor in station #82 had been hit by one torpedo each.

The British Promise (Master E.J. Goodchild) on her maiden voyage was damaged, but reached Halifax on 22 November. No casualties among the crew of 54 and seven gunners. The tanker was repaired and returned to service in May 1943.

 
On boardWe have details of 5 people who were on board


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