SS Umona
History | |
---|---|
United Kingdom | |
Name | Umona |
Owner | Bullard, King & Co (Natal Direct Line) |
Port of registry | London |
Route | Middlesbrough – London – Cape Town – Durban – Indian Ocean |
Builder | Sir John Laing & Sons, Sunderland |
Yard number | 630[1] |
Launched | 7 September 1910 |
Completed | October 1910 |
Identification |
|
Fate | Sunk by torpedo, 30 March 1941 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Cargo liner |
Tonnage | |
Length | 356.0 ft (108.5 m) |
Beam | 44.5 ft (13.6 m) |
Draught | 23 ft 9 in (7.24 m) |
Depth | 26.0 ft (7.9 m) |
Installed power | 497 NHP |
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 13 knots (24 km/h) |
Crew | 86 crew and three DEMS gunners |
Armament | DEMS |
SS Umona was a British
Umona spent her entire 31-year career with Bullard, King and Company. She was the second of the company's ships of that name. The first was a 2,031 GRT cargo liner that had been built at Sunderland in 1890 and wrecked off the Maldives in the Indian Ocean in 1903.[2]
Bullard, King gave all its ships African names to highlight its Natal Direct line, which had linked
Building
Sir John Laing and Son built Umona in 1910, completing her that October. She had nine corrugated furnaces with a combined grate area of 173 square feet (16 m2) that heated three single-ended boilers with a combined heating surface of 7,180 square feet (667 m2). These fed steam at 180
The engine was rated at 497 NHP and drove a single screw,[4][5] giving the ship a speed of only 13 knots (24 km/h).[1] Despite carrying passengers on a regular route, Umona was no faster than many cargo ships of her period. She was built for economy, not speed.
Second World War service
When the Second World War broke out, convoys protected only part of Umona's long route between Britain and the Indian Ocean. There were many outbound convoys that gave merchant ships only a few days' escort out of home waters. Three weeks after the UK entered the war, Umona joined Convoy
Inbound ships could call at
In February 1940 Umona joined Convoy
Umona returned with general cargo and in May 1940 joined Convoy SL 33 at Freetown. Initially SL 33's only escort was an armed merchant cruiser (AMC), the converted Australian passenger liner HMS Bulolo. Again Umona carried the Convoy Commodore, this time Rear-Admiral John Casement, CB. On 6 June SL 33 was joined at sea by two additional escorts: the corvette HMS Arabis and sloop Leith. SL33 reached Liverpool on 9 June.[11]
On 22 June 1940
In autumn 1940 Umona returned with a cargo of sugar, calling at Freetown where she joined Convoy SL 50. This time she did not carry the Convoy Commodore but her Master was made Vice-Commodore. SL 50 left Freetown on 3 October escorted by two AMCs: the converted passenger liners
On 14 November 1940 Umona sailed in ballast from the
At the beginning of 1941 Umona loaded general cargo and joined Convoy
Final voyage and loss
In March 1941 Umona sailed from Durban for London, laden with 1,549 tons of maize, 50 tons of pulses and 47 tons of jam. She called at Walvis Bay in
Late of the evening of 30 March Umona was about 90 nautical miles (170 km) southwest of Freetown when the
Umona had managed to launch only one of her six lifeboats before she sank. It was commanded by her fourth officer, 20-year-old Edwin Clarke, but U-124 surfaced, captured Clarke and submerged.[21] After sinking Allied ships Kriegsmarine vessels often sought to obtain intelligence from survivors, and particularly from officers.
Three other survivors managed to board a small liferaft. One was the duty radio officer who had sent the distress message. The others were a badly wounded[22] DEMS gunner, EG Elliot RN, and a passenger called Frank Brothers.[20] After they had drifted for four days they sighted a submarine and used the reflective surface of a tobacco tin as a heliograph to attract her attention.[22] The submarine, which may have been U-124,[22] came and gave them fresh water.[21] The next day the weather worsened, and in the afternoon the radio officer died.[22]
On 7 April, while escorting Convoy WS 7, the destroyer HMS Foxhound, rescued three Lascar crewmen,[21] apparently from the lifeboat from which Clarke had been captured. Foxhound did not see the raft, which continued to drift. On 12 April the British cargo ship Lorca sighted the raft and rescued Brothers and Elliot.[21] Foxhound and Lorca each landed their survivors at Freetown.[19]
In all, 99 men and two women from Umona died, Edwin Clarke was unaccounted for after being captured and was presumed dead, and only five survivors were rescued.
Awards and monuments
Gunner Elliot was awarded the British Empire Medal and Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea.[23]
Members of Umona's crew who were killed are commemorated in the Second World War section of the Merchant Navy War Memorial at Tower Hill in London. Her Lascar seamen are commemorated in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission monuments at Chittagong and Mumbai.
References
- ^ a b Allen, Tony (12 October 2007). "SS Umona (+1941)". The Wreck Site. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
- ^ Allen, Tony (29 April 2013). "SS Umona (+1903)". The Wreck Site. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
- ^ Swiggum, Sue; Kohli, Marj (5 February 2005). "Bullard King & Company, Limited / Natal Direct Line". The Ships List. Sue Swiggum. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
- ^ Lloyd's Register, Steamers & Motorships (PDF). London: Lloyd's Register. 1933. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
- ^ Lloyd's Register, Steamers & Motorships (PDF). London: Lloyd's Register. 1934. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
- ^ Hague, Arnold. "Convoy OA.8". OA Convoy Series. Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
- ^ Hague, Arnold. "Convoy SL.14". SL/ MKS Convoy Series. Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
- ^ Hague, Arnold. "Convoy FS.100". FS Convoy Series. Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
- ^ Hague, Arnold. "Convoy OA.105G". OA Convoy Series. Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
- ^ Hague, Arnold. "Convoy OG.21". OG Convoy Series. Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
- ^ Hague, Arnold. "Convoy SL.33". SL/ MKS Convoy Series. Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
- ^ Hague, Arnold. "Convoy FN.214". FN Convoy Series. Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
- ^ Hague, Arnold. "Convoy OA.179". OA Convoy Series. Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
- ^ Hague, Arnold. "Convoy SL.50". SL/ MKS Convoy Series. Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
- ^ Hague, Arnold. "Convoy WN.38". WN Convoy Series. Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
- ^ Hague, Arnold. "Convoy FS.338". FS Convoy Series. Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
- ^ Hague, Arnold. "Convoy EN.57 (Series 1)". EN Convoy Series. Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
- ^ Hague, Arnold. "Convoy OB.276". OB Convoy Series. Don Kindell, ConvoyWeb. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
- ^ a b c Helgason, Guðmundur (1995–2013). "Umona". Ships hit by U-boats. Guðmundur Helgason. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
- ^ a b Helgason, Guðmundur (1995–2013). "Umona". Crew lists from ships hit by U-boats. Guðmundur Helgason. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
- ^ a b c d e "Edwin Clarke – His Story". Merchant Navy Unsung Heroes. Keystage Arts and Heritage Company. Archived from the original on 26 December 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
- ^ a b c d e Slader 1988, p. 124
- ^ de Neumann, Bernard (19 January 2006). "Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea (Part One)". WW2 People's War. BBC. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
Sources
- Slader, John (1988). The Red Duster at War. London: William Kimber & Co Ltd. p. 124. ISBN 0-7183-0679-1.