Photo. www.arendnet.com
Built: 1918
Tonnage: 5,760 / 8,050 tons
Cargo: General cargo, including food and ammunition.
Route: Swansea (7 Nov) - Belfast Lough (10 Nov) - Bahia - Capetown - Middle East
Sunk 28 NOV 42 by U-161 in pos. 05º 34’N 25º 02’W.
62 Dead
No Survivors
At 00.37 hours on 29 Nov, 1942, U-161 fired a spread of two torpedoes at the Tjileboet (Master J.W. Kroese), dispersed from convoy ON-145, and scored a hit after 72 seconds. The ship exploded in a heavy detonation and debris fell even around the U-boat in a distance of about 1000 meters. At 08.14 hours on 28 November, the Tjileboet had been spotted and she almost escaped as they forced the U-boat to dive at 11.10 hours when turning towards it and firing with artillery, but was finally hit after a difficult hunt in heavy rain squalls and being identified by her distress calls.
By Tjileboet (Dutch Steam merchant) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net