Ships hit by U-boats


Marlene

British Steam merchant



Marlene under her former name Highland Warrior

NameMarlene
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage6,507 tons
Completed1920 - Barclay, Curle & Co, Whiteinch, Glasgow 
OwnerGalbraith, Pembroke & Co Ltd, London 
HomeportLondon 
Date of attack4 Apr 1941Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-124 (Georg-Wilhelm Schulz)
Position8° 15'N, 14° 19'W - Grid ET 3749
Complement60 (13 dead and 47 survivors).
Convoy
RouteCalcutta - Walvis Bay, South West Africa - Freetown - UK 
Cargo7100 tons of general cargo and 1500 tons of pig iron 
History Built as Highland Warrior for Nelson Line, London. 1933 sold to Royal Mail Line, London and renamed Nogoya. 1936 sold to Kaye, Son & Co Ltd, London and renamed Marlene. 1940 sold to Galbraith, Pembroke & Co Ltd, London. 
Notes on event

At 23.02 hours on 4 April 1941 the unescorted Marlene (Master Henry Ellison Lascelles) was struck under the bridge by one torpedo from U-124 southwest of Freetown. The zigzagging ship had been spotted at 16.08 hours and missed by a first torpedo at 20.59 hours. 22 minutes after the first hit, she was struck by a coup de grâce and remained afloat, but the crew began to abandon ship. At 23.44 hours, the U-boat began to shell the ship, but had to stop after 12 rounds of incendiary rounds were fired because the light for the gunsight failed. The Marlene sank by the bow five minutes after being hit by a second coup de grâce at 00.05 hours on 5 April. 13 crew members were lost. The master and 46 crew members landed at False Cape, Sierra Leone.

 
On boardWe have details of 14 people who were on board


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