SS City of Pretoria
Encyclopedia
The SS City of Pretoria was a British steam merchant. She was torpedoed and sunk in the Second World War with heavy loss of life.
, at their yards in Birkenhead
in 1937. She was operated by the Ellerman & Bucknall Steamship Co. Ltd
and homeported in London. She continued to be operated by the Ellerman Lines during the Second World War, making at least one voyage from New York to France, carrying materiel
early in the war. Her final voyage took her from New York
, which she departed on 27 February 1943, bound for Liverpool
via Holyhead
. She was carrying 7,032 tons of general cargo, along with 145 passengers and crew, commanded by her master, Frank Deighton. Her high speed meant that it was deemed an acceptable risk to travel unescorted rather than in a convoy.
, when she was spotted on 4 March at 06.09 hours by the U-boat
U-172. U-172 torpedoed the City of Pretoria, causing her to explode and sink northwest of the Azores
. All aboard her, including her master, 108 crew members, 24 gunners, seven passengers (DBS) and five apprentices were lost with her. The passengers were British seamen being repatriated to the UK, often because their previous ships had been sunk.
One of the passengers was James Allistair Whyte, previously the third officer
of the SS City of Cairo
, who had survived 51 days in a lifeboat after the City of Cairo had been torpedoed and sunk by U-68 on 6 November 1942.
Career
She was built by Cammell Laird & Co LtdCammell Laird
Cammell Laird, one of the most famous names in British shipbuilding during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, came about following the merger of Laird, Son & Co. of Birkenhead and Johnson Cammell & Co. of Sheffield at the turn of the twentieth century.- Founding of the business :The Company...
, at their yards in Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
in 1937. She was operated by the Ellerman & Bucknall Steamship Co. Ltd
Ellerman Lines
Ellerman Lines was a cargo and passenger shipping company that operated from the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century. It was founded in the late nineteenth century, and continued to expand with the acquisition of smaller shipping lines until it became one of the largest shipping...
and homeported in London. She continued to be operated by the Ellerman Lines during the Second World War, making at least one voyage from New York to France, carrying materiel
Materiel
Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....
early in the war. Her final voyage took her from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, which she departed on 27 February 1943, bound for 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...
via Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
. She was carrying 7,032 tons of general cargo, along with 145 passengers and crew, commanded by her master, Frank Deighton. Her high speed meant that it was deemed an acceptable risk to travel unescorted rather than in a convoy.
Sinking
She was travelling unescorted through the Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, when she was spotted on 4 March at 06.09 hours by the 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...
U-172. U-172 torpedoed the City of Pretoria, causing her to explode and sink northwest of the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
. All aboard her, including her master, 108 crew members, 24 gunners, seven passengers (DBS) and five apprentices were lost with her. The passengers were British seamen being repatriated to the UK, often because their previous ships had been sunk.
One of the passengers was James Allistair Whyte, previously the third officer
Third Officer
Third Officer may refer to:*Third Officer , a rarely used rank in civil aviation companies*Third mate, a merchant marine rank*A rank in the Women's Royal Naval Service corresponding to Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy...
of the SS City of Cairo
SS City of Cairo
The SS City of Cairo was a British passenger steamer. She was sunk in the Second World War with heavy loss of life.She was built by Earle’s Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd, Hull in 1915 for Ellerman Lines Ltd of London...
, who had survived 51 days in a lifeboat after the City of Cairo had been torpedoed and sunk by U-68 on 6 November 1942.