| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name |
|
| Owner | Union Whaling Co. Ltd. |
| Port of registry |  Durban,South Africa |
| Builder | Harland and Wolff |
| Yard number | 369 |
| Launched | 17 June 1905 |
| Completed | August 1905 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Torpedoed and sunk 7 March 1942 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Whale Factory ship |
| Tonnage | 9,755 GRT |
| Length | 147.5 metres (483 ft 11 in) |
| Beam | 17.8 metres (58 ft 5 in) |
| Depth | 9.5 metres (31 ft 2 in) |
| Installed power | 1 x 4 cyl. Quadruple expansion steam engine |
| Propulsion | Two screw propellers |
| Speed | 12 knots |
| Crew | 51 |
SSUniwaleco was a South-African Whale Factory ship that was torpedoed by theGerman submarineU-161 in theCaribbean Sea 45 nautical miles (83 km) west of theSaint Vincent Passage on 7 March 1942 while she was travelling fromCuraçao toFreetown with a stopover inTrinidad while carrying a cargo of 8800 tons of fuel oil.[1]
Uniwaleco was built at the Harland & Wolff shipyard inBelfast,United Kingdom in August 1905. Where she was launched and completed that same year. The ship was 147.5 metres (483 ft 11 in) long, had a beam of 17.8 metres (58 ft 5 in) and had a depth of 9.5 metres (31 ft 2 in). She was assessed at 9,755 GRT and had 1 x 4 cyl. Quadruple expansion steam engine driving two screw propellers. The ship could generate 658 n.h.p. with a speed of 12 knots thanks to her two double boilers, two single boilers and 18 corrugated furnaces.[1]
Uniwaleco was travelling unescorted fromCuraçao toFreetown with a stopover inTrinidad while carrying a cargo of 8800 tons of fuel oil when on 7 March 1942 at 17.59 pm, she was hit by one of two torpedoes from theGerman submarineU-161 in theCaribbean Sea 45 nautical miles (83 km) west of theSaint Vincent Passage. The damaged ship became uncontrollable and settled in the water while sailing in circles, but she did not sink. TheU-boat fired acoup de grâce atUniwaleco 15 minutes after the first attack and hit her in theaft of the ship which broke her in two and sank her within three minutes. The sinking took the lives of 18 crewmen with the 33 survivors taking to a lifeboat and landing onSt. Vincent.[2]
The wreck ofUniwaleco lies at (13°23′N62°04′W / 13.383°N 62.067°W /13.383; -62.067).[2]
