Stanley Pycroft

Pycroft was lost aboard British Loyalty:

Type: Motor tanker
Tonnage 6,993 tons
Completed 1928 - Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Co Ltd, Jarrow
Owner British Tanker Co Ltd, London
Homeport London
Date of attack 9 Mar 1944 Nationality: British

Fate A total loss by U-183 (Fritz Schneewind)
Position 0° 41'S, 73° 11'E - Grid LN 2726
Complement ? men (0 dead and ? survivors).
Convoy
Route Addu Atoll (stationary)
Cargo 6417 tons of fuel oil, motor spirit and some coal
History Completed in January 1928

In the evening of 30 May 1942 the Japanese midget submarine M-20b (Lt Saburo Akieda) launched by the Japanese submarine I-20 (T. Yamada) penetrated the roads of Diego Suarez, Madagascar and hit HMS Ramillies (07) (Capt D.N.C. Tufnell, DSC, RN) and the British Loyalty (Master R. Wastell) with one torpedo each. The tanker was hit aft in the engine room and sank to the bottom 37° 5 cables from Antsirana Lighthouse. Five crew members and one gunner were lost. In December 1942 she was refloated, repaired and towed to the Addu Atoll in October 1943, where she was used as a oil storage hulk.
Notes on event
Around 09.00 hours on 9 March 1944 U-183 fired a torpedo at the oil storage hulk British Loyalty (Master R.M. Anderson) through a gap in the torpedo net across the Gan Channel in the Addu Atoll, Maledives. The torpedo hit the vessel lying at anchor off the island of Vilingili on the starboard side aft, completely wrecked the engine room and flooded the #7, #8 and #9 tanks, causing a heavy list to starboard. Counter-flooding saved the ship from sinking to the bottom. She was later repaired and again used as hulk until she was scuttled in position 00°38´12S/73°07´24E on 15 January 1946. (Courtesy of uboat.net)

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