* Francis Herbert Smith

Name Peleus
Type: Steam merchant
Tonnage 4,695 tons
Completed 1928 - W. Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool
Owner Nereus Steam Navigation Co Ltd (E.E. Hadjilias), Athens
Homeport Syra
Date of attack 13 Mar 1944 Nationality: Greek

Fate Sunk by U-852 (Heinz-Wilhelm Eck)
Position 2° 00'S, 10° 00'W - Grid FF 19
Complement 39 (36 dead and 3 survivors).
Convoy
Route Algiers - Freetown (8 Mar) - Buenos Aires
Cargo Ballast
History Completed in March 1928 as Egglestone for W. Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool. 1928 sold to Greece and renamed Peleus.
Notes on event
At 19.40 hours on 13 March 1944 the unescorted Peleus (Master Minas Mavris) was hit by two torpedoes from U-852 and sank rapidly about 500 miles north of Ascension Island. The U-boat tried to destroy all evidences of the sinking by shooting at debris and rafts from the ship. During this action some survivors were killed and only four men were alive when the U-boat left the area. One of them later died, the remaining three survivors were picked up by the Portuguese steam merchant Alexandre Silva on 20 April and taken to Lobito, Angola. The master, 31 crew members and four British gunners were lost. (Courtesu of uboat.net)

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