SS Corinthic
| |
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | SS Corinthic |
| Operator: | W.H. Cockerline & Co, Hull |
| Builder: | Irvine's Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co Ltd, Middleton Shipyard, West Hartlepool |
| Completed: | 1924 |
| Fate: | sunk on 13 April 1941 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Steam merchant ship |
| Tonnage: | 4,823 tons |
| Crew: | 41 |
The SS Corinthic was a merchant ship that sailed under the British flag during the Second World War. She was involved in a number of convoys before being sunk by a German U-boat whilst travelling unescorted off the West African coast.
Early career
Corinthic was built in 1924 by Irvine's Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co Ltd, Middleton Shipyard, West Hartlepool. She entered service with W.H. Cockerline & Co, of Hull and was homeported in that city.[1]
World War II service
During the Second World War she sailed in a number of convoys for protection against the U-boat threat. She started off making short trips between UK ports, followed by sailings into the Atlantic as part of the OB convoys. These would be escorted out of British waters before proceeding independently to North American ports. She was also part of the ill-fated convoy SC-7, which sailed from Sydney, Nova Scotia on 5 October 1940. The convoy was overwhelmed by U-boats in a wolf pack attack, losing 20 out of the 35 merchants.[2] Corinthic, carrying a cargo of steel and scrap metal, was one of the few to escape unscathed.[3]
Sinking
Corinthic shifted operations to the South Atlantic in early 1941. Her final voyage was to take her from Rosario to the UK via Freetown. She carried a cargo of 7,710 tons of grain and was under the command of her master, Townson Ridley.[1] On 13 April 1941 she was spotted by U-124 whilst sailing southwest of Freetown. U-124, under the command of Georg-Wilhelm Schulz was on her fourth, and most successful patrol, having already sunk ten merchants.[1] She torpedoed the Corinthic at 22:29 hours, which sank shortly after with the loss of two of her crew members. The master, 36 crew members and two gunners abandoned ship and survived to be picked up by the Dutch tanker Malvina and were landed at Freetown.[1]
References
Coordinates: 8°10′N 14°40′W / 8.167°N 14.667°W
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