Chakdina: The B.I.S.N. steamer "Chakdina" was built in 1914 at the outbreak of WW1. On January 13, 1940 it was requisitioned by the British M.o.W.T. as an armed boarding vessel. In company with another similar vessel, the cased petrol carrier S.S. Kirkland, it was returning from a supply trip to Tobruk back to the 62nd General Hospital in Alexandria with some 300 British wounded and 100 prisoners including the German general, von Ravenstein, on December 5, 1941, when at 2135 at position 32.11N and 24.30E the ship was torpedoed by the German submarine U81 commanded by Lt. Cmdr. Guggenberger . There are however eye witness reports that the ship was actually sunk by torpedo-bombers. Peter Bates, a New Zealand journalist then serving with the Supply Company of the New Zealand Division was on the Kirkland during the attack and writes in his book "Supply Column" (M37): "At 9.30 pm there was a sudden shout on board the Kirkland, a swirl of movement as the crew rushed for the freighters Ack-Ack protection - 12 m/g's plus a Breda - and the ship began to spit fire into the sky. Then there was another heavy explosion and another shout: "The bloody Chakdina's gone". The "Chakdina" - 100 yards away across the moonlit water - was sinking after having been hit by a torpedo. In three and a half minutes the water had closed over her. Then there was another explosion and the sea boiled as the boilers burst. Of the 381 on board, few below escaped and others were drowned when the fast sinking ship dragged them down. 17 Australian POW were drowned including 12 members of the 2/13th Inf Bn. Peter Bates is of the opinion that the torpedo was released by German aircraft. Some 200 survivors were rescued by the British destoyer H.M.S. Farndale and another 60 by a Norwegian whaler Thorgrim. Rowland Ryder in his book "Portrait of a German General" (M27 p106) states that Von Ravenstein said when rescued that the Chakdina had been attacked by an Italian Savoia torpedo-bomber. And another version of the sinking: Armed boarding vessel commandeered by the British in Tobruk to evacuate their wounded. Acting as a hospital ship, it sailed from the harbour with 380 wounded soldiers on board including 97 New Zealanders. Some officers and medical personnel were also accompanying the wounded. The ship was heading for Baggush, the H/Q of the 2nd N.Z. Division. At 9 o'clock in the morning an Italian Savoia Marchietta 79 plane dropped a torpedo which struck the ship in the after hold. It took only three minutes for the Chakdina to sink, giving the wounded little chance to escape. Those who were not severely wounded managed to reach the escort destroyer HMS Farndale which picked up eighteen New Zealanders from the water. All the medical staff, except one, were saved. In all, 79 persons lost their lives. The Farndale reached Alexandria two days later and the survivors were admitted to the No. 3 New Zealand General Hospital. Ship Specifications: Launch Date: 22 September 1914 Completion date: 11 December 1914 Type: Passenger/Cargo Tonnage: 3033 Builder: Ramage & Ferguson, Leith (Yard239 Owners: British India S.N. Co. Ltd., Glasgow Propulsion: Single Screw, 12 knots cruising speedLPP: 100.8 meters   Beam: 14.1 meters References: http://www.biship.com/fleetlists/fleet1910-1919.htm http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2MMed-c8-19.html Miramar Single Ship Report for "1136340" http://members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/maritime-2.html