SS Manistee (1920)

History
United Kingdom
Name	SS Manistee
Operator	Elders & Fyffes Line Admiralty from December 1940
Builder	Cammell Laird
Launched	1920
Completed	January 1921
Fate	Sunk on 24 February 1941, part of Convoy OB 288
General characteristics
Class and type	Steam merchant ship
Tonnage	5,360 tons
Crew	141
Armament	2 × 6 in (152 mm) guns 1 × 12-pounder gun 1 × anti-aircraft gun

SS Manistee was a merchant ship of the Elders & Fyffes Line. She was requisitioned by the Royal Navy during the Second World War to serve as an Ocean Boarding Vessel.

Pre-war service

Built in 1920 for the Elders & Fyffes company for its passenger and banana route from the Caribbean to the United Kingdom, she was requisitioned by the Navy in 1940. She had a gross register tonnage of 5,360 tons and, after requisition, was armed with two 6-inch (152 mm) guns, one 12-pounder gun and an anti-aircraft gun.

Wartime career

Manistee’s first encounter with a U-boat was on 7 July 1940 when travelling unescorted southwest of Ireland. She was sighted by U-99, under the command of Otto Kretschmer, who fired a G7e torpedo at her at 14.01 hours. Kretschmer then surfaced and began shelling Manistee at 14.14 hours. The ship returned fire, forcing U-99 to break off, with neither side having scored any hits.

Manistee formed part of convoy OB 288 sailing from Liverpool on 19 February 1941. The convoy was dispersed at 2100 hours on 23 February 1941 in the North Atlantic at a point northwest of Ireland and south of Iceland due to U-boat activity in the area. At 2242 (Berlin Time) on the same day, the German submarine U-107, under the command of Günther Hessler, and the Italian submarine Michele Bianchi fired torpedoes upon Manistee. Between 0600 and 0800 on 24 February 1941 U-107 fired upon Manistee again, sinking her at point 58 55N 20 50W, south of Iceland. USS Herndon, HMS Heather and Free French Léopard were dispatched to search for survivors but none of the 141 crew were found.

External links

• Warsailors account of the sailing of Convoy OB 288
• Elders & Fyffes ships at The Ships List.com
• Sinking of HMS Manistee at Uboat.net