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Image courtesy of Iziko Museums, John H. Marsh Maritime Research Centre
Litiopa at Cape Town in about 1933
Built by: Bartram and Sons, Sunderland. Completed: 1917
Manager: Martin Mosvald, Farsund
Tonnage: 5356 grt, 3171 nett, 8000 dwt
Length: 400 feet
Beam: 52.4 feet
Draught: 28.1 feet
Machinery: Triple expansion engines
Speed: 10 knots
In Admiralty Service (Royal Fleet Auxiliary) from 1940
This ship was originally the Leaf Class Oiler RFA Dockleaf.
Litiopa left Lagos on 16 October 1943 in ballast bound for Freetown, escorted by HMS Orfasy, at around 03:30 hrs on the 22 October in position 06º 18’N 11º 55’ W the ship came under intense shelling from her port side, quickly followed by an attack on the starboard side, with up to 3 U Boats involved. (It is believed that one U Boat took part in this attack, U 68 (Oberluitenant zur See Albert Lauzemis), and it is interesting to note that this is the same U Boat that sank RFA Darkdale).
The crew abandoned ship and the shelling continued until around 08:00 hrs, after which the crew returned to the ship which was badly damaged, on fire, and listing heavily to starboard. The stern was settling in the water and ammunition was by now exploding, the ship eventually sank at 12:45 hrs.
The crew of 27 Norwegian, 4 British, 1 Polish and 2 West African seamen survived the sinking, though the 1st Engineer and the Cook later died on passage to Freetown. |
