On This Day (1st May) – WW2 Shipwreckollections

SS Port Victor (1942 – 1943)

At 00.30 hours on 1 May 1943, U-107 fired a spread of two stern torpedoes at the unescorted SS Port Victor, northeast of the Azores, which was zigzagging directly into a good firing position at about 1000 meters distance.

The crew made the lifeboats ready to be launched after the ship, which carried 65 passengers including 23 women and children, was stopped by one of the torpedos which hit amidship. Two lifeboats were destroyed and the occupants killed when the SS Port Victor was hit in the bow by a second shot at 00.45 hours.

The vessel developed a list to port but still sent radio messages until being hit underneath the bridge by a third shot, which broke the ship in two and caused her to sink. Twelve crew members, two gunners and five passengers were lost.

The master, 74 crew members, ten gunners and 60 passengers were picked up by HMS Wren, and landed at Liverpool where the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society provided 76 of them with £589/14/3s worth of financial support, the equivalent to almost £25,000 in today’s money.

Picture courtesy of wreckhunter.net