Photo. www.photoship.co.uk
Built 1940
Tonnage: 4,836 / 9,366 tons
Route: Cardiff - Buenos Aires
Cargo: Coal
Sunk 29 MAY 42 by Italian submarine Barbarigo on pos 06º 22’S 29º 44’W
2 Dead
40 Survivors
Clipping from Chicago Tribune June 4th 42.
Survivors said the ship was sunk some 305 miles off Brazilian coast. USS Omaha spotted a light on the horizon at 01:30, on 1 June 1942. The light was from a small lifeboat with eight surviving crewmen aboard from the sunken British merchant Charlbury. She had been heading to Buenos Aires, Argentina, when she had been attacked on 28 May, by the Italian submarine Barbarigo. The first torpedo fired by Barbarigo had missed Charlbury, at which point the submarine surfaced to attack with her 10 cm (3.9 in) deck guns before submerging again. With her second torpedo attack Barbarigo struck Charlbury which caused the merchant to sink by the stern. Omaha went on to pull another 32 survivors of the sinking from the water and transported all of the them to Recife.
Below there is a detailed report made by the The Captain of Charlbury to US Naval authorities at Recife. By Fold Three