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SHIPS HIT GREECE 18 - GREEK SHIPS LOST

9)GRANICOS (SUB GIUSEPPE FINZI)




 


Built 1916


Tonnage 2,288 / 3,389 tons


Cargo Iron Ore.


Route: Rio de Janeiro - Freetown.


Sunk 28 MAR 43 by Italian submarine Finzi on pos. 02º 00’N 15º 30’W


36 Dead


1 POW


1 Survivor


In March 28th 1943, on her way from Rio De Janeiro to Freetown, SS Granicos was hit by a torpedo, launched from the Italian U-Boat ‘’FINZI’’, and sunk 300 miles south of Monrovia, Liberia. From the 38 crewmembers on board, 36 (25 of Greek nationality and 11 of foreign nationality) lost their lives, one captured by the U-Boat and one more, of Portuguese nationality, was found on a raft and rescued by the British tanker ‘’LEIGHTON’’, in April 4th (at 01º.00"S, 17º.00"W).



Above a view of the British ship Leighton which rescued the survivor from SS Granicos.

Photo. https://www.benjidog.co.uk/allen/Images/ImagesL/LAMHOL23.jpg


SURVIVOR’S HISTORY (translated by Steve Niforatos)


After much persuasion on my part and another's, I was taken as a worker at Wilson Sons Co. for service as a sailor on a ship which would leave from the port of Rio de Janeiro within 24 hours. I agreed to their conditions of service. First step was to be cleared by local authorities and nautical police. After the 'all clear', I went to the Company Office to sign documents. Due to the lack of time to sign, I signed without reading the documents. I trusted a friend who was there regarding the content of those documents. I am unsure as to the position I was assigned, probably in the boiler room. There were 3 Portuguese sailors there and 2 Greek sailors of rank. We arrived at the ship on March 12, 1943 at 9:30pm. I was assigned the position of night watchman as soon as I got there. On the next day at 9:00am, we departed the port of Rio de Janeiro with the destination of Freetown West Africa.


On the first day out at sea, I worked as a sailor/seaman. I replaced a sick sailor at the post of cleaning rooms detail at the directive of the second captain. I stayed at that position for 3 days. Then I worked in the boiler room for 4 days in the place of someone whose back got burned on the job. After that, I went back to my main sailor duties until the day the torpedo hit. I worked overtime 2 hours every day as per the second captain to help clean and stock foodstuffs for the service personnel. Travel was smooth until March 28, 1943. We encountered 2 Italian submarines whose destination was outbound USA. Our ship was called the 'Granicos'.


We did not carry weapons on board. We had on board 26 Greeks, 8 Arabs, and 4 Portuguese personnel. The Italian sub was a 2000 tons and armed with 4 torpedoes tubes with the name "Giuseppe Finzi" with a crew of 76 men. The Italian sub hit us with all 4 torpedoes and sunk the Granicos within 30 seconds. We didn't even have any time to send a S.O.S. I was thrown 12-15 meters in the air and fell in the water. I survived by a miracle. I stayed in the water for 1 hour 45 minutes. I was picked up by the other Italian submarine. When I got on board the Italian submarine, I asked if anyone else from the Granicos is onboard and was told that I was the only survivor. The submarine skipper then made a thorough search in the area for about 20 minutes to look for other survivors, but there were none. Our ship was sunk some 110-120 miles from Freetown. I stayed in the submarine for 24 days, eating 1 biscuit a day and saltwater for sustenance.


The saltwater gave me a severe stomach ache and discomfort. We landed at Bordeaux April 21-22, 1943. We stayed there for 3 days. I was housed in army barracks. Within 2 days I was moved to a facility about 45 kilometers outside of Rome for questioning. I stayed there for 3 weeks as a prisoner of war. Then I was transferred to a central army location- 52nd Genova - in Italy. I was then moved to the 7A Stalag in Germany when Italy was losing the war. Then to Stalag 8B #344 "Lamsdorf". On July 13, 1944, I was then released. I traveled to Berlin where the ambassador of Portugal gave me a passport and paid for my airline travel to Lisbon Portugal.  


 

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