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ss CITY OF CAIRO

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  1 user online                         The Ellerman Hall vessel ss CITY OF CAIRO torpedoed on 6th November 1942

Ellerman Lines War Losses 1939 - 1945

This is a work in progress

At the outbreak of World War II, The Ellerman group (excluding the Wilson Line which was a separate entity) owned 105 cargo and passenger ships. Below are listed the group's war losses (60) including those not lost to enemy action.


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The Ellerman Line's War Losses 1939 - 1945
Name O/N Date Fate/Comments Dead
1939
CITY OF MANDALAY 147942 17/10/39 Torpedoed and sunk by U-46 (Sohler) 2
DARINO 139323 19/11/39 Torpedoed and sunk by U-41 (Mugler) 16
IONIAN 166236 29/11/39 Mined and sunk by U-20 (Moehle) 0
CITY OF KOBE 147266 19/12/39 Mined and sunk by U-60 (Schewe) 1
1940
DIDO 144058 May 1940 Stranded off Ushant and abandoned during the fall of France 0
LESBIAN 147232 1940 Seized at Beirut by Vichy French, later destroyed 0
CITY OF BAGDAD 144643 11/7/40 Captured and scuttled by raider Atlantis 4
CITY OF BRISBANE 143641 2/8/40 Bombed by a/c in the Thames Estuary 8
CITY OF BIRMINGHAM 137857 16/8/40 Struck a mine 53.32.26N/00.15.30E off Spurn Head 0
MARDINIAN 140644 9/9/40 Torpedoed and sunk by U-28 (Kuhnke) 6
CITY OF MOBILE 133304 16/9/40 Bombed by a/c in Irish channel 0
CITY OF BENARES 164096 17/9/40 Torpedoed and sunk by U-48 (Bleichrodt) ??
CITY OF SIMLA 146273 21/9/40 Torpedoed and sunk by U-138 (Luth) 3
ASSYRIAN 143952 19/10/40 Torpedoed and sunk by U-101 (Frauenheim) 17
LISBON 143673 30/10/40 Wrecked 1nm East of Rattray Head 0
FABIAN 140655 16/11/40 Torpedoed and sunk by U-65 (v. Stockhausen) 6
PALMELLA 143639 1/12/40 Torpedoed and sunk by U-37 (Clausen) 1
CITY OF BEDFORD 147284 30/12/40 Sunk after collision with mv BODNANT 60.03N/23.01W 48
FLORIAN 166292 21/1/40 Torpedoed and sunk by U-94 (Kuppisch) 44
1941
ESTRELLANO 143689 9/2/41 Torpedoed and sunk by U-37 (Clausen) 6
ANDALUSIAN 140557 17/3/41 Torpedoed and sunk by U-106 (Oesten) 0
CITY OF ROUBAIX 149661 6/4/41 Set on fire after bombing of CLAN FRASER - exploded and sank 0
CITY OF KARACHI 165925 13/4/41 Bombed by a/c at Volos. Attacked again and total loss 15/4/41. 0
CITY OF NAGPUR 146310 29/4/41 Torpedoed and sunk by U-75 (Ringlemann) 16
CITY OF WINCHESTER 140546 9/5/41 Torpedoed and sunk by U-103 (Schutze) 6
CITY OF SHANGHAI 140533 11/5/41 Torpedoed and sunk by U-103 (Schutze) 8
MALVERNIAN 164324 11/7/41 Bombed by a/c off Spain. Abandoned, presumed sunk 19/7/41 0
BELGRAVIAN 164337 5/6/8/41 Torpedoed and sunk by U-372 (Neumann) 2
SERBINO 140621 21/10/41 Torpedoed and sunk by U-82 (Rollman) 14
1942
CITY OF PITTSBURG 145898 11/1/42 Wrecked. Great Pass, Alexandria 0
CITY OF MANCHESTER 164262 28/2/42 Torpedoed and sunk by I-153 (Nakamura) 4
CRESSADO 144644 8/5/42 Collision 11nm from Skerries 0
CITY OF MELBOURNE 140631 13/5/42 Torpedoed and sunk by U-156 (Hartenstein) 1
CITY OF OXFORD 149600 15/6/42 Torpedoed and sunk by U-552 (Topp) 1
CITY OF MANILA 137508 19/8/42 Torpedoed and sunk by U-406 (Dieterichs) 1
CITY OF WELLINGTON 147340 21/8/42 Torpedoed and sunk by U-506 (Wurdemann) 7
CITY OF CARDIFF 140556 28/8/42 Torpedoed and sunk by U-566 (Remus) 21
KIOTO 140571 15/9/42 Torpedoed and sunk by U-514 (Auffermann) 6
CITY OF ATHENS 147227 8/10/42 Torpedoed and sunk by U-179 (Sobe) 1
CITY OF JOHANNESBURG 143712 23/10/42 Torpedoed and sunk by U-504 (Poske) 2
CITY OF CAIRO 137423 6/11/42 Torpedoed and sunk by U-68 (Merten) 103
CITY OF CORINTH 140555 17/11/42 Torpedoed and sunk by U-508 (Staats) 11
CITY OF BATH 147370 2/12/42 Torpedoed and sunk by U-508 (Staats) 3
CITY OF BOMBAY 164342 13/12/42 Torpedoed and sunk by U-159 (Witte) 18
CITY OF HANKOW 137452 18/12/42 Wrecked, South Point, 4nm N Saldanha Bay 0
1943
CITY OF MARSEILLES 135436 21/1/43 Wrecked 1nm off Batticaloa, Ceylon 0
CASTILIAN 143384 12/2/43 Wrecked East Platters, Anglesey 0
CITY OF PRETORIA 165620 4/3/43 Torpedoed and sunk by U-172 (Emmermann) 145
EGYPTIAN 143646 4/3/43 Torpedoed and sunk by U-230 (Siegmann) 40
OPORTO 149684 13/3/43 Torpedoed and sunk by U-107 (Gelhaus) 43
CITY OF CHRISTCHURCH 143088 21/3/43 Bombed by a/c off Portugal and sank next day 0
CITY OF PERTH 133318 26/3/43 Torpedoed and sunk by U-431 (Schoneboom) 2
CITY OF GUILDFORD 140630 27/3/43 Torpedoed and sunk by U-593 (Kelbling) 128
CITY OF BARODA 140594 2/4/43 Torpedoed and damaged (CTL) U-509 (Witte) 14
CITY OF SINGAPORE 147197 1/5/43 Torpedoed and sunk by U-515 (Henke) 0
VOLTURNO 135597 26/6/43 Bombed by a/c 10nm WNW Cape St Vincent 3
CITY OF VENICE 147890 4/7/43 Torpedoed and sunk by U-375 (Konenkamp) 21
CITY OF CANTON 137520 26/7/43 Torpedoed and sunk by U-178 (Dommes) 8
CITY OF ORAN 137804 2/8/43 Torpedoed and scuttled by U-196 (Kentrat) 0
1944
CITY OF ADELAIDE 143683 30/3/44 Torpedoed and sunk by I-8 (Ariizumi) 0

In a work such as this it is virtually impossible to be 100% accurate but it was clear to me that more work was needed to be done.

In my research I have discovered that many established sources disagree, and in some cases differ substantially, on the casualties. This is perhaps not surprising given the fact that some of these ships carried many passengers including women and children and sustained heavy loss of life. Where established sources disagree, I have carried out further research by obtaining primary records including crew agreements, C & D lists and shipping company communications.

I am indebted to Billy McGee and Roger Griffiths for all their help in obtaining a more accurate casualty figure.

Further details of the background research for this project courtesy of the Mercantile Marine Forum.

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