Date of attack

14 Aug 1940

Nationality:      

British

Fate

Sunk by U-59 (Joachim Matz)

Position

55° 52'N, 8° 14'W - Grid AM 5462

Complement

34 (30 dead and 4 survivors).

Route

Saigon, Indo-China - Liverpool

Cargo

2726 tons of rice

History

Built as American Lake Agomak for US Shipping Board, Washington DC. 1924 renamed Betty Weems for Baltimore & Carolina SS Co, Baltimore MD. 1930 transferred to A.H. Bull SS Co, Baltimore MD and 1931 renamed Betty. 1937 sold to China Merchants Steam Navigation Co, Shanghai and 1938 transferred to William Hunt & Co, Hong Kong. 1940 taken over by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT).

Notes on event

At 22.34 hours on 14 Aug 1940 the unescorted Betty (Master Thomas H. Sessions) was torpedoed and sunk by U-59 35 miles 260° from Tory Island.

The master and 29 crew members were lost.

Four crew members were picked up by the HMS Man O´ War (FY 104) (Lt A.D. White) and landed at Belfast.

1940 Acquired by Bowater Newfoundland

1940 Torpedoed 35 miles from Tory Island