MV Atheltemplar
Encyclopedia
The MV Atheltemplar was a motor tanker
built by Lithgows
, Port Glasgow
. Launched on 15 April 1930, she was initially operated by the United Molasses Co Ltd of London
but homeported in Liverpool
, and was officially transferred to Athel Lines on 1 January 1940.
with her cargo before sailing east again to Port Said
.
Atheltemplar returned to Great Britain with Convoy HG 9 which departed Port Said
on 19 November 1939, but on the afternoon of 14 December 1939, she struck a mine
laid by German
destroyers off the Tyne Estuary
. The destroyers HMS Kelly
and HMS Mohawk
were dispatched as escorts for the rescue tug
s Great Emperor, Joffre and Langton. During the operation, Kelly also struck a mine and sustained damage to her hull
. While Mowhawk put a party aboard Atheltemplar, and Joffre and Langton took the tanker under tow, Kelly herself was taken in tow by Great Emperor and returned to the Tyne.
After repairs, Atheltemplar returned to operations on 9 April 1940 and sailed to Bermuda
before returning to home waters with Convoy HX 42. During late May and early June 1940 she was involved in Operation Dynamo
, during which she bunkered RN destroyers and was attacked by the Luftwaffe
several times in and around Dover Harbour
. More transatlantic crossings followed, including a homeward-bound voyage in the ill-fated Convoy HX 84 which was attacked by the pocket battleship Admiral Scheer
; fortunately, Atheltemplar and her sister-ship Athelempress managed to escape unscathed.
Atheltemplar then undertook a series of coastal voyages in home waters before undergoing refit in Smith's Yard, North Shields
, during the winter of 1940-41. Sailing for Methil Roads
on 25 February 1941, she joined the 26-ship Convoy EN 79 which departed Methil on 1 March 1941, bound for the Atlantic convoy marshalling area at Loch Ewe
on the west coast of Scotland
. Sailing northbound in ballast, Atheltemplar - nominated the convoy's Vice-Commodore
ship - was positioned at the head of the starboard column of vessels when, with darkness falling, Convoy EN 79 was attacked off the Aberdeenshire coast by Heinkel He 111
bombers from the Luftwaffe's KG26
, a combat group based in Denmark
. Atheltemplar bore the brunt of the attack and was struck on the navigation bridge superstructure by two 250 kg bombs; at least five members of the crew were killed instantly (12 crew died during the incident), and a fire swept the vessel forcing the survivors to abandon ship. (Convoy WN 91, sailing towards Convoy EN 79 and about 35 miles north, was attacked at about the same time by another He 111 and the SS Forthbank was seriously damaged.) One of the He 111s was hit by defensive fire from SS Tewkesbury, and subsequently ditched off the Banffshire
coast; the crew were captured and became Prisoners of War. Atheltemplar’s survivors were taken aboard HMS Leda. HMS Speedwell fought the blaze and then took Atheltemplar in tow. Taken initially to the Imperial Dock at Leith
, Atheltemplar later returned to Smith's Dock for extensive repairs; she resumed trading in June 1941. The remains of five unidentified members of her crew ("Known only unto God"), killed during the 01 March 1941 air attack, lie within a marked Commonwealth War Grave towards the south-east corner of New Calton Burial Ground in Edinburgh, some two miles south of Port Leith.
and Murmansk. The first of these was Convoy PQ14 which arrived in Murmansk on 19 April 1942. During this voyage, Atheltemplar was damaged by ice and she was repaired in Murmansk before sailing for the return journey with Convoy QP11. This Convoy was attacked by German destroyers, U-boats and torpedo bombers; once again, Atheltemplar was damaged but it is not clear whether the cause was ice, enemy action or both. After reaching Iceland (on 07 May 1942), Atheltemplar then returned to Home Waters and North Shields for repairs (and possibly for the fitment of additional anti-aircraft defensive armament). She left the Tyne on 21 June 1942 for Loch Ewe and Iceland, arriving at Reykjavik on 16 Jul. On 07 September 1942 she sailed to join Convoy PQ 18 which had departed Loch Ewe on 2 September 1942. This was the next attempt to supply the Soviet Union
since the disastrous losses sustained by the previous Convoy PQ 17. The Atheltemplar, carrying 9,400 tons of Admiralty fuel oil plus 63 tons of dry stores, was to travel with the convoy to Archangel via Hvalfjörður
, Iceland
, commanded by her Master, Carl Ray.
The convoy was spotted by German aircraft on 10 September; then on 12 September, Royal Navy
Sea Hurricane fighters - flying from the escort carrier HMS Avenger
- drove off a Luftwaffe Bv138 flying boat
which was attempting to shadow the convoy. Luftwaffe patrol aircraft returned the following day to vector U-boat
s towards the convoy. At about 08:30 BST
(GMT +2) on 13 September, two ships were attacked by U-boats, one sinking within minutes. Later, at about 11:00 , several Luftwaffe Ju-88
bombers of KG30
(based at Petsamo
) attacked PQ 18. A series of U-boat alerts followed, and then at about 15:00 a large formation of He 111s and Ju 88s of KG26 attacked with bombs and at least 30 torpedo
s; eight of the convoy's ships were sunk. Further air attacks occurred at 21:00hrs, during which one of Atheltemplar’s gunners succeeded in downing a Ju 88. At 03:10 hours on 14 September, U-457 managed to penetrate the protective ring of escorts and attacked the convoy southwest of Bear Island. Despite reporting the sinking of one tanker and one other ship, and having damaged a Javelin-class destroyer
, the U boat's only success was to have torpedoed the Atheltemplar.
The crew immediately abandoned the burning tanker. The master, 42 crew members and 18 gunners were picked up by the British rescue ship Copeland and the destroyer
HMS Offa
. They were then transferred to the minesweepers
HMS Harrier and HMS Sharpshooter, and later the cruiser
HMS Scylla
. Atheltemplar settled low at the stern but, although disabled, appeared to be capable of remaining afloat. HMS Harrier briefly took Atheltemplar in tow but, as a prolonged tow of the ship would have been foolhardy given the constant enemy threat, it was decided that the Atheltemplar should be scuttled. This task was delegated to HMS Tartar
, which attempted (but failed) to sink Atheltemplar with gunfire and depth charge
s, before returning to the convoy. Then, at 14.30 hours, U-408 came across the capsized wreck of the Atheltemplar, by now drifting north of Bear Island, and sank her with her 88 mm gun in position 76°00′N 18°00′E. The survivors of the Atheltemplar were landed at Scapa Flow
.
The master of the rescue ship Copeland, W.J. Hartley, was awarded the Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea
, for his actions in rescuing the crew of the Atheltemplar.
By the time of her sinking, Atheltemplar had completed at least 19 wartime Atlantic crossings, had sailed some 102,500 miles, and delivered 140,200 tons of essential fuel oil and molasses. Seventeen men died aboard her during the War.
. Atheltemplar had the UK Official Number 161160 and use the Code Letters
LGBH until 1933. and GKYQ from 1934.
Tanker (ship)
A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
built by Lithgows
Lithgows
Lithgows Limited, was a British shipbuilding company based in Kingston, Port Glasgow, on the River Clyde in Scotland.-Founding:The Company was established by Joseph Russell and his partners Anderson Rodger and William Lithgow who leased the Bay Yard in Port Glasgow from Cunliffe & Dunlop and...
, Port Glasgow
Port Glasgow
Port Glasgow is the second largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16617 persons...
. Launched on 15 April 1930, she was initially operated by the United Molasses Co Ltd of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
but homeported in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, and was officially transferred to Athel Lines on 1 January 1940.
Early wartime career
Atheltemplar’s first recorded voyage during the Second World War was to Abadan on the Persian Shatt al-Arab. She departed home waters with Convoy OB 10 and returned to GibraltarGibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
with her cargo before sailing east again to Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
.
Atheltemplar returned to Great Britain with Convoy HG 9 which departed Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
on 19 November 1939, but on the afternoon of 14 December 1939, she struck a mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
laid by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
destroyers off the Tyne Estuary
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
. The destroyers HMS Kelly
HMS Kelly (F01)
HMS Kelly was a K-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy, and flotilla leader of her class. She served through the early years of the Second World War; in Home Waters, off Norway and in the Mediterranean. Throughout her service, Kelly was commanded by Lord Louis Mountbatten. She was lost in...
and HMS Mohawk
HMS Mohawk (F31)
HMS Mohawk was a Tribal-class destroyer laid down by John I. Thornycroft and Company at Woolston, Hampshire on 16 July 1936, launched on 5 October 1937 and commissioned on 7 September 1938...
were dispatched as escorts for the rescue tug
Tug
Tuğ is a village in the Khojavend Rayon of Azerbaijan....
s Great Emperor, Joffre and Langton. During the operation, Kelly also struck a mine and sustained damage to her hull
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
. While Mowhawk put a party aboard Atheltemplar, and Joffre and Langton took the tanker under tow, Kelly herself was taken in tow by Great Emperor and returned to the Tyne.
After repairs, Atheltemplar returned to operations on 9 April 1940 and sailed to Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
before returning to home waters with Convoy HX 42. During late May and early June 1940 she was involved in Operation Dynamo
Operation Dynamo
The Dunkirk evacuation, commonly known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, code-named Operation Dynamo by the British, was the evacuation of Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, France, between 26 May and the early hours of 3 June 1940, because the British, French and Belgian troops were...
, during which she bunkered RN destroyers and was attacked by the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
several times in and around Dover Harbour
Port of Dover
The Port of Dover is the cross-channel port situated in Dover, south-east England. It is the nearest English port to France, at just away, and one of Europe's largest passenger ports, with 14 million travellers, 2.1 million lorries, 2.8 million cars and motorcycles and 86,000 coaches passing...
. More transatlantic crossings followed, including a homeward-bound voyage in the ill-fated Convoy HX 84 which was attacked by the pocket battleship Admiral Scheer
German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer
Admiral Scheer was a Deutschland-class heavy cruiser which served with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II. The vessel was named after Admiral Reinhard Scheer, German commander in the Battle of Jutland. She was laid down at the Reichsmarinewerft shipyard in Wilhelmshaven in June...
; fortunately, Atheltemplar and her sister-ship Athelempress managed to escape unscathed.
Atheltemplar then undertook a series of coastal voyages in home waters before undergoing refit in Smith's Yard, North Shields
North Shields
North Shields is a town on the north bank of the River Tyne, in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in North East England...
, during the winter of 1940-41. Sailing for Methil Roads
Methil
Methil is an eastern coastal town in Scotland. It was part of the former Burgh of Buckhaven and Methil. It lies within a continuous urban area described as Levenmouth.Methil lies geographically between Largo bay to the east and Wemyss Bay to the west....
on 25 February 1941, she joined the 26-ship Convoy EN 79 which departed Methil on 1 March 1941, bound for the Atlantic convoy marshalling area at Loch Ewe
Loch Ewe
Loch Ewe is a sea loch in the region of in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. The shores are inhabited by a traditionally Gàidhlig speaking people living in or sustained by crofting villages, the most notable of which, situated on the north-eastern shore, is the Aultbea settlement...
on the west coast of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Sailing northbound in ballast, Atheltemplar - nominated the convoy's Vice-Commodore
Convoy commodore
A Convoy Commodore was the title of a civilian put in charge of the good order of the merchant ships in the British convoys used during World War II. Usually the convoy commodore was a retired naval officer or a senior merchant captain drawn from the RNVR...
ship - was positioned at the head of the starboard column of vessels when, with darkness falling, Convoy EN 79 was attacked off the Aberdeenshire coast by Heinkel He 111
Heinkel He 111
The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Often described as a "Wolf in sheep's clothing", it masqueraded as a transport aircraft, but its purpose was to provide the Luftwaffe with a fast medium...
bombers from the Luftwaffe's KG26
Kampfgeschwader 26
Kampfgeschwader 26 "Löwengeschwader" was a Luftwaffe bomber wing during World War II .Its units participated on all of the fronts in the European Theatre until it was disbanded in September–October 1944. It operated two of the major German bomber types; the Heinkel He 111 and the Junkers Ju 88...
, a combat group based in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. Atheltemplar bore the brunt of the attack and was struck on the navigation bridge superstructure by two 250 kg bombs; at least five members of the crew were killed instantly (12 crew died during the incident), and a fire swept the vessel forcing the survivors to abandon ship. (Convoy WN 91, sailing towards Convoy EN 79 and about 35 miles north, was attacked at about the same time by another He 111 and the SS Forthbank was seriously damaged.) One of the He 111s was hit by defensive fire from SS Tewkesbury, and subsequently ditched off the Banffshire
Banffshire
The County of Banff is a registration county for property, and Banffshire is a Lieutenancy area of Scotland.The County of Banff, also known as Banffshire, was a local government county of Scotland with its own county council between 1890 and 1975. The county town was Banff although the largest...
coast; the crew were captured and became Prisoners of War. Atheltemplar’s survivors were taken aboard HMS Leda. HMS Speedwell fought the blaze and then took Atheltemplar in tow. Taken initially to the Imperial Dock at Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
, Atheltemplar later returned to Smith's Dock for extensive repairs; she resumed trading in June 1941. The remains of five unidentified members of her crew ("Known only unto God"), killed during the 01 March 1941 air attack, lie within a marked Commonwealth War Grave towards the south-east corner of New Calton Burial Ground in Edinburgh, some two miles south of Port Leith.
Convoy PQ-18
Later in the Second World War Atheltemplar was used on convoys to carry fuel oil and supplies to the Kola Inlet and the northern Soviet ports of ArchangelArkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
and Murmansk. The first of these was Convoy PQ14 which arrived in Murmansk on 19 April 1942. During this voyage, Atheltemplar was damaged by ice and she was repaired in Murmansk before sailing for the return journey with Convoy QP11. This Convoy was attacked by German destroyers, U-boats and torpedo bombers; once again, Atheltemplar was damaged but it is not clear whether the cause was ice, enemy action or both. After reaching Iceland (on 07 May 1942), Atheltemplar then returned to Home Waters and North Shields for repairs (and possibly for the fitment of additional anti-aircraft defensive armament). She left the Tyne on 21 June 1942 for Loch Ewe and Iceland, arriving at Reykjavik on 16 Jul. On 07 September 1942 she sailed to join Convoy PQ 18 which had departed Loch Ewe on 2 September 1942. This was the next attempt to supply the Soviet Union
Arctic convoys of World War II
The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and North America to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945...
since the disastrous losses sustained by the previous Convoy PQ 17. The Atheltemplar, carrying 9,400 tons of Admiralty fuel oil plus 63 tons of dry stores, was to travel with the convoy to Archangel via Hvalfjörður
Hvalfjörður
Hvalfjörður is situated in the west of Iceland between Mosfellsbær and Akranes. The fjord is approximately 30 km long and 5 km wide....
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, commanded by her Master, Carl Ray.
The convoy was spotted by German aircraft on 10 September; then on 12 September, Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
Sea Hurricane fighters - flying from the escort carrier HMS Avenger
HMS Avenger (D14)
HMS Avenger was a Royal Navy escort aircraft carrier during the Second World War. In 1939 she was laid down as the merchant ship Rio-Hudson at the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Company yard in Chester, Pennsylvania. Launched on 27 November 1940, she was converted to an escort carrier and transferred...
- drove off a Luftwaffe Bv138 flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
which was attempting to shadow the convoy. Luftwaffe patrol aircraft returned the following day to vector U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
s towards the convoy. At about 08:30 BST
British Summer Time
Western European Summer Time is a summer daylight saving time scheme, 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used in the following places:* the Canary Islands* Portugal * Ireland...
(GMT +2) on 13 September, two ships were attacked by U-boats, one sinking within minutes. Later, at about 11:00 , several Luftwaffe Ju-88
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
bombers of KG30
Kampfgeschwader 30
-Service history:Formed on 15 November 1939 in Greifswald. I Gruppe formed 1 September, II Gruppe on 23 September and III Gruppe on 1 January 1940, based in Greifswald then Barth...
(based at Petsamo
Pechengsky District
Pechengsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the five in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is located to the northwest of the Kola Peninsula on the coast of the Barents Sea and borders with Finland in the south and southwest and with Norway in the west, northwest, and north...
) attacked PQ 18. A series of U-boat alerts followed, and then at about 15:00 a large formation of He 111s and Ju 88s of KG26 attacked with bombs and at least 30 torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
s; eight of the convoy's ships were sunk. Further air attacks occurred at 21:00hrs, during which one of Atheltemplar’s gunners succeeded in downing a Ju 88. At 03:10 hours on 14 September, U-457 managed to penetrate the protective ring of escorts and attacked the convoy southwest of Bear Island. Despite reporting the sinking of one tanker and one other ship, and having damaged a Javelin-class destroyer
J, K and N class destroyer
The J, K and N class was a class of 24 destroyers of the Royal Navy launched in 1938. They were a return to a smaller vessel, with a heavier torpedo armament, after the Tribal class that emphasised guns over torpedoes. The ships were built in three flotillas or groups, eight each of ships with...
, the U boat's only success was to have torpedoed the Atheltemplar.
The crew immediately abandoned the burning tanker. The master, 42 crew members and 18 gunners were picked up by the British rescue ship Copeland and the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
HMS Offa
HMS Offa (G29)
HMS Offa was an O-class destroyer of the Royal Navy which entered service in 1941.During November 1941 HMS Offa was part of Convoy PQ-4, the fifth of the Arctic Convoys of World War II. The convoy sailed from Hvalfjord, Iceland on 17 November 1941 and arrived at Arkhangelsk on 28 November 1941.On...
. They were then transferred to the minesweepers
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
HMS Harrier and HMS Sharpshooter, and later the cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
HMS Scylla
HMS Scylla (98)
HMS Scylla was a Dido-class cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company , with the keel being laid down on 19 April 1939...
. Atheltemplar settled low at the stern but, although disabled, appeared to be capable of remaining afloat. HMS Harrier briefly took Atheltemplar in tow but, as a prolonged tow of the ship would have been foolhardy given the constant enemy threat, it was decided that the Atheltemplar should be scuttled. This task was delegated to HMS Tartar
HMS Tartar (F43)
HMS Tartar was a Tribal-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that saw service in most of the naval theatres of World War II. She had an eventful career, eventually receiving the nickname 'Lucky Tartar' due to her numerous escapes from dangerous situations...
, which attempted (but failed) to sink Atheltemplar with gunfire and depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s, before returning to the convoy. Then, at 14.30 hours, U-408 came across the capsized wreck of the Atheltemplar, by now drifting north of Bear Island, and sank her with her 88 mm gun in position 76°00′N 18°00′E. The survivors of the Atheltemplar were landed at Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
.
The master of the rescue ship Copeland, W.J. Hartley, was awarded the Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea
Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea
The Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea is one of the four Lloyd's Medal types bestowed by Lloyd's of London. In 1939, with the coming of World War II, Lloyd's set up a committee to find means of honouring seafarers who performed acts of exceptional courage at sea, and this resulted in the...
, for his actions in rescuing the crew of the Atheltemplar.
By the time of her sinking, Atheltemplar had completed at least 19 wartime Atlantic crossings, had sailed some 102,500 miles, and delivered 140,200 tons of essential fuel oil and molasses. Seventeen men died aboard her during the War.
Official number and code letters
Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO NumbersIMO ship identification number
The IMO ship identification number is made of the three letters "IMO" followed by the seven-digit number assigned to all ships by IHS Fairplay when constructed. This is a unique seven digit number that is assigned to propelled, sea-going merchant ships of 100 GT and above...
. Atheltemplar had the UK Official Number 161160 and use the Code Letters
Code letters
Code letters were a method of identifying ships before the introduction of modern navigation aids. Later, with the introduction of radio, code letters were also used as radio callsigns.-History:...
LGBH until 1933. and GKYQ from 1934.