Ships hit by U-boats


St. Essylt

British Motor merchant



NameSt. Essylt
Type:Motor merchant
Tonnage5,634 tons
Completed1940 - J.L. Thompson & Sons Ltd, North Sands, Sunderland 
OwnerSouth American Saint Line, Cardiff 
HomeportCardiff 
Date of attack4 Jul 1943Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-375 (Jürgen Koenenkamp)
Position36° 44'N, 1° 31'E - Grid CH 8295
Complement401 (4 dead and 397 survivors).
ConvoyKMS-18B
RouteClyde (24 Jun) - Sicily 
Cargo322 troops, 900 tons of military stores and two landing craft (LCM) 
History Completed in September 1940 
Notes on event

At 21.40 hours on 4 July 1943 U-375 fired a spread of four torpedoes at convoy KMS-18B and hit the St. Essylt (Master Stephen Diggins) in station #13 on the starboard side with one of them about 20 miles north-northwest of Cape Tenes, Algeria. The ship caught fire, was abandoned and eventually sank after an explosion at 05.45 hours on 5 July. One crew member, one gunner and two passengers were lost. The master, 53 crew members, 23 gunners and 320 military personnel were rescued and landed at Algiers: HMS Honeysuckle (K 27) (Lt H.H.D. MacKillican, DSC, RNR) picked up 276 survivors and the remaining men were picked up by HMS Rhododendron (K 78) (Lt O.B. Medley, RNVR) and HMRT Restive (W 39) (Lt D.M. Richards, RNR).

 
On boardWe have details of 8 people who were on board


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