Photo. www.photoship.co.uk
Built 1929
Tonnage: 5,312 / 9,155 tons
Cargo: Ballast
Route: Algiers - Gibraltar - Rio de Janeiro - River Plate
Sunk 01 MAY 44 by U-181 on position 18º.14”S, 20º.00”W
13 Dead
35 Survivors
At 04.11 hours on 1 May 1944, the unescorted Janeta (Master John Cameron) was torpedoed and sunk by U-181 about 900 miles south by west of Ascension Island. The U-boat misidentified the ship as Banavon. Nine crew members and four gunners were lost. The master, 31 crew members and three gunners were rescued; the master, the third officer and eight survivors were rescued and landed at Bahia on 14 May.
15 more survivors were picked up by the Swedish merchant Freja about 150 miles south of Bahia and landed at Rio de Janeiro. Ten survivors were picked up on 12 May by the American destroyer escort USS Alger (DE 101) and landed at Bahia. The boat in charge of the master with nine occupants made landfall near Belmonte on 17 May and eventually reached Bahia aboard a small coaster on 20 May.
By Janeta (British Steam merchant) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net