SS Marietta E
She was owned by Leith Hill Shipping Co Ltd and managed by Counties Ship Management Co Ltd of London (CSM), both of which were offshoots of the Rethymnis & Kulukundis shipbroking company. She was named after Marietta Eustathiou, a member of Nicholas Eustathiou shipping concerns that had a major shareholding in her.
Marietta E was a sister ship of SS Michael E, SS Lulworth Hill and SS Primrose Hill, which also were managed by CSM and owned by companies associated with R&K.
Sinking
Early in 1943 she sailed from New York, bound for Alexandria in Egypt via Durban and Aden. She was laden with a cargo of government and commercial stores and deck cargo of eight LCPL landing craft. In Durban she joined convoy DN-21 to Alexandria via Aden. At 0346 hrs on 4 March in the Indian Ocean east of East London, German submarine U-160 fired two torpedoes at the convoy, one of which sank the Marietta E killing four crew and one DEMS gunner. South African Navy rescue launch R8 rescued the Master, 33 crew and six DEMS gunners and landed them at Durban.
References
- ^ Lloyd's Register, Steam Ships and motorships (PDF). Lloyd's Register. 1943. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur (1995–2010). "Marietta E." uboat.net. Guðmundur Helgason. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
- ^ Fenton, Roy (2006). "Counties Ship Management 1934-2007". LOF-News. p. 1. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
Further reading
- Sedgwick, Stanley; Kinnaird, Mark; O'Donoghue, K.J. (1993) [1992]. London & Overseas Freighters, 1948-92: A Short History. World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-68-1.
- Sedgwick, Stanley; Sprake, R.F. (1977). London & Overseas Freighters Limited 1949-1977. World Ship Society. ISBN 0905617037.
31°29′S 31°07′E / 31.49°S 31.11°E
