SS Carsbreck
Encyclopedia
The SS Carsbreck was a British steam merchant ship. She was sunk while carrying supplies to the UK during the Second World War.
, North Ayrshire
, being completed in 1936 and launched as Coulbeg for Dornoch Shipping Co Ltd, (Lambert Bros). She then entered service with Honeyman & Co, of Glasgow
, and by 1938 had been renamed Carsbreck and was homeported in Glasgow. She sailed in a number of convoys during the Second World War to carry supplies to and from Britain. She was part of convoy SC-7
in October 1940, carrying a cargo of timber. The convoy was overwhelmed by German
U-boat
s successfully using "wolfpack" tactics, and Carsbreck was torpedoed at 02.04 hours on 18 October by U-38, under the command of Heinrich Liebe
. She was badly damaged but was able to reach port, escorted by the Flower class
corvette
HMS Heartsease
.
to Barrow-in-Furness
. She carried a cargo of 6,000 tons of iron ore and was under the command of her master, John Dugald Muir. She was sighted at 06:36 hours on 24 October 1941 by Reinhard Suhren
's U-564, which fired five torpedo
es at the convoy. Suhren duly claimed five ships hit and sunk. In fact only three ships had been hit, but all were sunk. These were the Carsbreck, the Ariosto and the Alhama. 24 of the Carsbreck’s crew, 19 crew members and four gunners and the master, were lost. 16 crew members and two gunners survived to be picked up by the Free French ship
Commandant Duboc. They were transferred to the fighter catapult ship
Ariguani, but the Ariguani was torpedoed and damaged by U-83 two days later. The Ariguani was abandoned, but later re-boarded and towed to Gibraltar
. The survivors from Carsbreck were picked up by HMS Campion, were transferred to HMS Vidette
and were taken to Gibraltar.
Early years and convoy SC-7
Carsbreck was built in the yards of Ayrshire Dockyard Co Ltd, IrvineIrvine, North Ayrshire
Irvine is a new town on the coast of the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland. According to 2007 population estimates, the town is home to 39,527 inhabitants, making it the biggest settlement in North Ayrshire....
, North Ayrshire
North Ayrshire
North Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland with a population of roughly 136,000 people. It is located in the south-west region of Scotland, and borders the areas of Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire to the north-east and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the East and South...
, being completed in 1936 and launched as Coulbeg for Dornoch Shipping Co Ltd, (Lambert Bros). She then entered service with Honeyman & Co, of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, and by 1938 had been renamed Carsbreck and was homeported in Glasgow. She sailed in a number of convoys during the Second World War to carry supplies to and from Britain. She was part of convoy SC-7
Convoy SC-7
SC-7 was the code name for a large Allied World War II convoy of 35 merchant ships and six escorts which sailed eastbound from Sydney, Nova Scotia for Liverpool and other United Kingdom ports on 5 October 1940. While crossing the Atlantic, the convoy was intercepted by one of the German Navy's...
in October 1940, carrying a cargo of timber. The convoy was overwhelmed 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...
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 successfully using "wolfpack" tactics, and Carsbreck was torpedoed at 02.04 hours on 18 October by U-38, under the command of Heinrich Liebe
Heinrich Liebe
Commander Heinrich Liebe was a highly decorated German naval officer who served as a U-boat commander during World War II until transferred to Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine . He sank 34 ships for a total of , placing him fourth on the Aces of the Deep list...
. She was badly damaged but was able to reach port, escorted by the Flower class
Flower class corvette
The Flower-class corvette was a class of 267 corvettes used during World War II, specifically with the Allied navies as anti-submarine convoy escorts during the Battle of the Atlantic...
corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
HMS Heartsease
HMS Heartsease (K15)
HMS Heartsease was a Flower-class corvette of the Royal Navy. She served with both the Royal Navy and the United States Navy during the Second World War, with the latter navy as USS Courage...
.
Convoy HG-75 and sinking
Carsbreck later formed part of convoy HG-75, sailing from AlmeríaAlmería
Almería is a city in Andalusia, Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the province of the same name.-Toponym:Tradition says that the name Almería stems from the Arabic المرية Al-Mariyya: "The Mirror", comparing it to "The Mirror of the Sea"...
to Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness
Barrow-in-Furness is an industrial town and seaport which forms about half the territory of the wider Borough of Barrow-in-Furness in the county of Cumbria, England. It lies north of Liverpool, northwest of Manchester and southwest from the county town of Carlisle...
. She carried a cargo of 6,000 tons of iron ore and was under the command of her master, John Dugald Muir. She was sighted at 06:36 hours on 24 October 1941 by Reinhard Suhren
Reinhard Suhren
Commander Reinhard "Teddy" Suhren was a German U-boat commander in World War II and younger brother of Korvettenkapitän and Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipient Gerd Suhren. Suhren began his U-boat career in March 1938...
's U-564, which fired five 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...
es at the convoy. Suhren duly claimed five ships hit and sunk. In fact only three ships had been hit, but all were sunk. These were the Carsbreck, the Ariosto and the Alhama. 24 of the Carsbreck’s crew, 19 crew members and four gunners and the master, were lost. 16 crew members and two gunners survived to be picked up by the Free French ship
Free French Naval Forces
Les Forces Navales Françaises Libres were the naval arm of the Free French Forces during the Second World War. They were commanded by Admiral Emile Muselier.- History :...
Commandant Duboc. They were transferred to the fighter catapult ship
CAM ship
CAM ships were World War II-era British merchant ships used in convoys as an emergency stop-gap until sufficient escort carriers became available. CAM is an acronym for catapult aircraft merchantman. A CAM ship was equipped with a rocket-propelled catapult launching a single Hawker Sea Hurricane,...
Ariguani, but the Ariguani was torpedoed and damaged by U-83 two days later. The Ariguani was abandoned, but later re-boarded and towed to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
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...
. The survivors from Carsbreck were picked up by HMS Campion, were transferred to HMS Vidette
HMS Vidette (D48)
HMS Vidette was an Admiralty V class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Alexander Stephens & Sons Limited in Linthouse, Govan on 1 February 1917, was launched on 28 February 1918, and completed on 27 April 1918....
and were taken to Gibraltar.