Posted by Axel van Eesbeeck gemyala@netcologne.de

on April 17, 2001.



Hallo

I got information from a webside that there was a tankship named Tioga sunk by submarine on 01.11.1943.

Can't find this ship in any book

Who can help ?



Best regards

Axel



RESPONSES:



Posted by Roger W Jordan rogwj@aol.com on April 17, 2001.



This is a mystery. Can you confirm on which website you found this information.

There was no merchant ship of this name reported sunk on 01.11.1943 (or 11.01.43) or indeed no reported loss of a vessel named Tioga in the Second World War.

However, I am wondering if the website made a spelling error and it was intended to be CLIONA. CLIONA was a motor tanker owned by Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd, London, and at 0053 hours on 01.11.43 she was not far from U571 in the North Atlantic. U571 reported hearing two detonations but in fact missed CLIONA. The detonation were apparently mistaken for depth charges from HMS Havelock, which was hunting the submarine.

Roger W Jordan

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Posted by Axel van Eesbeeck on April 17.

Hallo

Thank you for your quick answers.

My "Tioga" Source:

[www.mailbase.ac.uk]

I can't remember, where i got the information that it was a tankship

Best regards

Axel

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Posted by Roger W Jordan on April 17.

Axel:

Thanks for the lead to the website from which you obtained mention of the mystery ship TIOGA. We were both looking in the wrong place because it was not sunk by submarine attack.

TIOGA was a steam tanker of 715 gross tons owned by Anglo-American Oil Co Ltd, the UK subsidiary of Standard Oil Co of New Jersey. She was built by Greenock & Gragemouth Dockyard Co Ltd, Grangemouth, in 1912.

On 1 November 1943 she was IN COLLISION with another merchant vessel (I do not have the identity of the other vessel) in position 55 40N 01 30W, when on voyage from Middlesbrough to Grangemouth in ballast; the tanker was taken in tow but became submerged in position 55 41N 01 31W and was sunk by gunfire on 3 November. If you are still interested in the loss, I will check this out on my next visit to Lloyd's in London and fill in the gaps.

Roger W Jordan

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Posted by Axel van Eesbeeck on April 17.

Hallo Jordan

I'm still interested since i can be very sure that it was a "normal" accident and had nor war causes



Best regards

Axel