Hello All I 'm new to the Forum and I'm already asking for help. Please forgive the audacity of the guy! I'm trying to find out what happened a merchant sailor from NI. He was Fifth Engineer Frank Gamble from Larne and he was reported lost at sea in the sinking of the M V Auris in June 1941. Am I right in thinking that she was lost in a sinking on 26 or 28 June 1941, the first victory in the Atlantic Ocean for the Italian submarine Leonarda da Vinci? Her crew apparently claimed that they used torpedoes to sink a British oil-tanker(8,030 tons), the SS AURIS, off Azores. Does anyone have a photo of theWW2 vessel? Thanks in anticipation. Regards Carninyj
Carninyj, The information I have on the loss: At 12:54 hours on 28th June 1941 the motor tanker Auris [Capt. N. R. Reed] was torpedoed and sunk by the Italian submarine DA VINCI [Lt. Cdr. Ferdinando Calda] in position 34.27N/11.57W. [Axis Submarine Successes 1939-45] Auris was enroute from Trinidad for Gibraltar with 11,493 tons of Admiralty fuel. She had a complement of 59 of which 32 perished. [NOTE:Again torpedoed 40 minutes later, on June 29th and sank.] [Lloyds War Losses WWII] Regards Arthur
Arthur, thanks for the information and apoligies for not getting back to you before now. Regards Carninyj
Hello, I have just come across your post about Frank Gamble and the M.V. Auris, and was wondering how you knew him? Unfortunately, it was dated 2004, so I'm a little late in replying, but yes sadly Frank was killed on the Auris. he was my Fathers friend and I have been researching my family tree and remembered the name Frank Gamble when I saw this. This is the information I have on the M.V. Auris Hope it helps. https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?59028 and on Frank. https://www.wrecksite.eu/peopleView.aspx?75309 Kind Regards, Diana
hello Diane and welcome original poster has not been on the forum for 13 years. I have sent them a message on your behalf Panel photo of Tower Hill Memorial from my collection regards Clive
Tanker Auris, 8,030grt, (Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co. Ltd) had been sailing independently on Admiralty service with a cargo of fuel oil from Trinidad to Gibraltar, departing Trinidad on the 14th June 1941. On the 28th June about 339 nautical miles West, South-West of Gibraltar in position 34’ 27N 11’ 57W the ship was intercepted by the Italian submarine Leonardo da Vinci. After being struck by one torpedo in number 6 tank the ship managed to still make headway. Forty-five minutes later a second torpedo struck and the ship rolled over onto her starboard beam and within two minutes sank by the stern. With no time to launch any lifesaving equipment, thirty-two crewmembers eventually perished. Although flashlights could be seen in the water, many men drifted away, before they could make it to a raft, which had come to the surface. The thirty-two survivors were eventually rescued fourteen hours later by the Destroyer HMS Farndale and landed at Gibraltar.
