Fort Franklin

A typical design of a Vancouver built Fort class

Torpedoed and Sunk in The Indian Ocean - 1943

Date of attack

16 Jul 1943

Fate

Sunk by U-181 (Wolfgang Lüth)

Position

22° 36'S, 51° 22'E - Grid KF 9759

Complement

55 (5 dead and 50 survivors).

Route

Port Said - Aden (1 Jul) - Lourenco Marques - Durban

Cargo

1500 tons of salt as ballast

Fort Franklin

Left Port Said

For Durban via Aden & lourenco Marques

Lost 16 July 1943

Fate

Master

T W Trott

Survived

Deck Officer

F Leary

Survived

Radio Officer

P A Colling

Survived

Chief Engineer

D Shaw

Lost

Third Engineer

L G Morgan

Survived

Greaser

M Lynch

Lost

Greaser & Cleaner

M Lynch

Lost

Fireman & Trimmers

C Andrew

R W Armitage

C N Thompson

All Lost

Firemen & Trimmer

N W Preece

Survived

Crew Member

W Pugh

Survived

History

Completed December 1942 for US War Shipping Administration (WSA), lend-leased on bareboat charter to British Ministry of War Transport (MoWT).

Notes on event

At 15.58 hours on 16 July 1943 the unescorted Fort Franklin (Master Thomas Witney Trott) was torpedoed and sunk by U-181 southwest of Reunion.

Four crew members were lost and another later died of injuries.

The master, 40 crew members and nine gunners made landfall after six days at Manajara, Madagascar.

Vessel

Built

Service

Tonnage

Fort Franklin

1942

1942 Managed by Dodd, Thompson

1943 Torpedoes and sunk in Indian Ocean

7135

Official Number

Ship Builder

Engine Builder

Engine Type

HP

Screws

616071

West Coast Shipbuilders

Vancouver

John Inglis

Toronto

Steam 3 Cyl


1

King Line Steamship Co
Group Register