Ships hit by U-boats


Athelbeach

British Motor tanker



Photo courtesy of the Allen Collection

NameAthelbeach
Type:Motor tanker
Tonnage6,568 tons
Completed1931 - Cammell Laird & Co Ltd, Birkenhead 
OwnerUnited Molasses Co Ltd, London 
HomeportLiverpool 
Date of attack7 Mar 1941Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-99 (Otto Kretschmer)
Position60° 30'N, 13° 30'W - Grid AM 12
Complement44 (7 dead and 37 survivors).
ConvoyOB-293
RouteGreenock - New York 
CargoBallast 
History Completed in March 1931 
Notes on event

On 7 March 1941, U-70 (Matz) attacked convoy OB-293 southeast of Iceland, but was lost after a second attack at 07.25 hours. The survivors claimed that they had hit three ships in the first attack at 04.45 hours and another in the second. In fact they had hit Athelbeach and Delilian in station #71 and #61 during the first attack and Mijdrecht during the second.

At 06.40 hours on 7 March, U-99 torpedoed the already damaged Athelbeach (Master Malcolm McIntyre) and the crew abandoned ship. At 07.15 hours, the U-boat began to shell the tanker and sank her with a coup de grĂ¢ce 15 minutes later. The master and six crew members were lost. 37 crew members were picked up by HMS Camellia (K 31) (LtCdr A.E. Willmot, RNR) and landed at Greenock.

 
On boardWe have details of 7 people who were on board

Attack entries for Athelbeach

DateU-boatCommanderLoss typeTonsNat.
7 Mar 1941U-70Kptlt. Joachim MatzDamaged6,568  
7 Mar 1941U-99KrvKpt. Otto KretschmerSunk6,568  


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