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40)EURYLOCHUS (RAIDER KORMORAN)




Photo. www.photoship.co.uk


 


Built 1912


Tonnage: 5,723 / 9,050 tons


Cargo: 16 Heavy Bombers and Military supplies. 


Route: UK - Takoradi - Suez


Sunk 29 JAN 41 by Raider KORMORAN in position 08º 19’N 25º 01’ W


10 Dead


38 Survivors 


43 POW


This Blue Funnel liner carrying a cargo of sixteen heavy bombers, minus engines, was bound for Takoradi where the bombers were to be fitted with their engines and flown to Egypt to operations against Rommel's Afrika Korps. (The engines were aboard another ship travelling with Eurylochus, which signalled to London for instructions once it became clear to her Captain that the bombers had been destroyed) Eurylochus refused to stop, radioed RRR and returned Kormoran's fire - 4 shots to the raider's 67, during which 11 of her crew were killed.


43 survivors (4 English and 39 Chinese) were picked up as the explosive charges were being set. Another 18 British and 20 Chinese escaped in the boats. After the charges exploded it seemed as if her radio had started sending again, and so Kormoran re-opened fire, spraying the bridge with 2 cm anti-aircraft fire until it stopped. A torpedo was then fired to finish Eurylochus off, but to the horror of the raider's watching crew, one of the missing lifeboats was seen to be approaching the liner amidships, at exactly the point where the torpedo was about to hit.


Despite signals and warnings flashed from Kormoran, there wasn't time for the men in the boat to react, and they and the torpedo arrived alongside together. In the ensuing explosion the boat and everyone in it were blown to bits. Her Captain and 27 crewmen were picked up next day by the Spanish ship Monte Teide. In the same day she was in sight of the AMC Bulolo which was at the area searching for Kormoran. British survivors numbering eight along with the wounded were transferred and the rest of the crew remained with the Chinese and landed at Buenos Aires. 


By http://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck_class/hilfskreuzer/kormoran.html


 

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