Motorex
British Motor tanker
Motorex under her former name Thomas Maytham
| Name | Motorex | ||
| Type: | Motor tanker | ||
| Tonnage | 1,958 tons | ||
| Completed | 1892 - Chicago Shipbuilding Co, Chicago IL | ||
| Owner | Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) | ||
| Homeport | New York | ||
| Date of attack | 18 Jun 1942 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-172 (Carl Emmermann) | ||
| Position | 10° 10'N, 81° 30'W - Grid EL 2163 | ||
| Complement | 21 (1 dead and 20 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Corpus Christi - Cristobal | ||
| Cargo | 20.000 barrels of diesel oil | ||
| History | Completed in January 1893 as steam merchant Thomas Maytham for Republic SS Co (M.M. Drake), Buffalo NY. 1897 sold to John Kelderhouse, Buffalo NY and 1902 to Gilchrist Transportation Co, Cleveland OH. 1916 sold to General Transit Co, Cleveland OH. In November 1924, the ship struck the Van Buren Street bridge in Chicago, severely damaging the pilothouse. On 1 Dec 1926, she stranded on Keweenaw Peninsula, between Point Isabelle and the Betsy River in blinding snowstorm and was later released by wrecking tug Favorite. 1935 sold to Dolomite Marine Corp (J.H. Odenbach), Rochester NY and rebuilt as motor tanker by Rochester Shipbuilding Corp, Pittsford NY until 1937 and renamed Dolomite 2. 1941 renamed Motorex for Seaboard Transportation Co, New York. 1942 given to Great Britain. | ||
| Notes on event | At 05.00 hours on 18 June 1942, U-172 began shelling the unescorted Motorex with 40 rounds from her deck gun northwest of Colon. The tanker had been missed with a torpedo at 03.56 hours. The crew abandoned ship after the first round struck the bridge and was questioned by the Germans. | ||
| On board | We have details of 1 people who were on board. | ||
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