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SS Tiberton

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History
NameTiberton
OwnerR Chapman & Son
Port of registryUnited Kingdom Newcastle upon Tyne
BuilderRichardson, Duck and Company, Thornaby-on-Tees
Yard number679
Launched20 January 1920
CompletedMarch 1920
IdentificationOfficial number 142861
FateSunk 19 February 1940
General characteristics
TypeCargo ship
Tonnage
Length414 ft 5 in (126.31 m)
Beam52 ft 4 in (15.95 m)
Depth28 ft 4 in (8.64 m)
Installed power1 x Triple expansion steam engine, 397 hp (296 kW)
Speed11 knots (20 km/h)

SS Tiberton was a British steam cargo ship that was sunk during World War II by the German submarine U-23.

Service

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Registered to owners R. Chapman & Son, Newcastle upon Tyne, Great Britain, the SS Tiberton was launched in 1920 and served in Great Britain's Merchant Navy through the 1920s and 1930s. Operating from her homeport of Newcastle, she sailed to numerous countries including Chile, Australia and Norway.

On 14 June 1928, Tiberton ran aground at Bahía Blanca, Argentina.[1] She was refloated on 17 June 1928.[2]

Sinking

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At 04.05 hours on 19 February 1940, whilst transporting iron ore to Middlesbrough (or Immingham, Lincolnshire) Great Britain from Narvik, Norway, the unescorted Tiberton was hit by one G7e torpedo from U-23 (on her eighth sailing and active patrol in the North Sea[3][4]) under the command of Otto Kretschmer. The Tiberton broke in two and sank in 30 seconds about 33 miles east of Kirkwall, Orkney. All 34 of her crew were killed.[5]

On 10 April 1940 the SS Tiberton was officially registered with Lloyd's as Missing / Untraced and a Joint Arbitration Committee considered her a "war loss".

Memorials

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The 33 British crew members are commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial in London (Panel 108). The 34th crew member, Canadian Edward Oliver May (Third Engineer), is commemorated on the Halifax Memorial in Point Pleasant Park on the southern tip of the Halifax Peninsula, Canada.[6] Her Majesty's Canadian Ships and visiting warships when entering or leaving Halifax Harbour and passing the Halifax Memorial between Colours (0800 hours and sunset) pipe the Still to render honours.[7]

Panel 108 at the Tower Hill Memorial

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Location of Sinking

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There are several estimations of the location of her sinking in the North Sea.

References

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  1. ^ "Casualty reports". The Times. No. 44920. London. 15 June 1928. col B, p. 29.
  2. ^ "Casualty reports". The Times. No. 44923. London. 19 June 1928. col G, p. 27.
  3. ^ "Adolf Hitler's 'lost fleet' found in Black Sea". The Daily Telegraph. 3 February 2008. Archived from the original on 23 September 2022.
  4. ^ The fate of "Hitler's lost fleet"
  5. ^ "Tiberton". Uboat. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  6. ^ "Halifax Memorial". Veterans Affairs Canada. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  7. ^ "Halifax Memorial". Veterans Affairs Canada. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
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