Pass of Balmaha: The Pass of Balmaha was a steam tanker of 758 tons built at Blythswood Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., Scotstoun Yard No. 33, Glasgow, Scotland, for the Bulk Oil Steamship Co. Ltd., (J.W. Cook & Co., managers), London. Launched 24 August 1933, and completed the following September. She was single screwed vessel of 192.2-feet in length, 30.4-feet in beam, with a draught of 13.9-feet. Propulsion was provided by a single 190PSI Scottish boiler and a 3-cylinder triple-expansion turbine (cylinder diameters: 15", 25.5", and 41") provided by D. Rowan & Co. Ltd., Glasgow, connected to a single shaft and propeller for and output of 189-NHP. The "Pass of Balmaha" The ship's history prior World War II has not been located by "Shipwrecks of Egypt" to date. However, during the Second World War, the S.S. Pass of Balmaha was requisitioned for war use by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and sailed on at least three convoys prior to her loss. On 04 November 1940, the ship deployed from Port Said on the 5-ship Convoy AN.6 to Piraeus, Greece. The ship's next recorded convoy was on 09 May 1941 when she sailed with the 13-ship Convoy AS.30 from Suda Bay, Crete, arriving at Port Said on 12 May 1941. The Pass of Balmaha is next heard of as having been escorted into Tobruk by the HMS Auckland (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, DSO, RN) and the HM whaler HMSAS Southern Maid (T27) on 03 June 1941. The "Pass of Balmaha" fully loaded (date and location unknown) Then, on 22 June 1941, the Pass of Balmaha departed Alexandria loaded with a cargo of 750 tons of petrol/aviation gas (avgas) escorted by the HMAS Parramatta (L44) (LCDR M.S. Thomas, DSO, RN) and HMS Auckland (L61) (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, DSO, RN) enroute to Tobruk. As the group of ships neared Tobruk on 24 June, they came under heavy aerial attack by Italian S.79s of the 5th Air Fleet, two German Ju-88's of III/LG.1, and 24 Ju-87's of II/St.G.2., with the German aircraft focusing on the HMS Auckland and the Italian aircraft attacking the Pass of Balmaha. This attack was soon followed shortly afterwards by a second group of aircraft consisting of eight Ju.87's of I/St.G.1 and 5 Italian Ju-87's of the 239th Dive-bombing Squadron. The Auckland received a direct hit early in the engagement which resulted in the loss of her stern. Still making way at 10 knots and nearly ramming the Parramatta, which made an evasive maneuver, the Auckland was struck by 3 more bombs from the aircraft of II/St.G.2. The ship went DIW (Dead in the Water) with a 30-degree port list. The ship's crew abandoned ship, with many of them being rescued by the Parramatta, after which the Auckland exploded and sank at 1829 approximately 30 miles ENE off of Tobruk at position 32º15'N / 24º30'E. The "HMS Auckland" in her final death throes Meanwhile, the Pass of Balmaha had been damaged by near misses and was unable to continue to Tobruk under her own power. One source indicates that the crew of the ship had taken to lifeboats in fear of the ship's cargo exploding during the attack. One re-boarded, the ship was taken in tow late in the day by the HMAS Waterhen who had arrived with the HMS Vendetta to assist in the rescue of survivors of the Auckland. With the Vendetta as escort, the Pass of Balmaha arrved at Tobruk where the ship offloaded her 750 tons of petrol. Emergency repairs were conducted and the ship departed Tobruk under escort by the Parramatta and returned to Alexandria, arriving on 30 June. The third convoy that the ship sailed on was the 10-ship Convoy WN.176 which departed Oban on 03 September 1941 and arrived at Methil on 06 September. On 16 October 1941, the Pass of Balmaha departed Alexandria with a cargo of petrol with the Greek steamer Samos enroute to Mersa Matruh to rendevouz with the gunboat Gnat and lighters A.13, A.17, and A.18 before proceeding on to the beseiged Tobruk as "Serial 4 of the Cultivate Operation" (Re-supply of Tobruk). At 0055 on 17 October 1941, the German submarine U-97 (Udo Heilmann) spotted a small convoy, consisting of the Samos and Pass of Balmaha under escort by the British Armed Trawler HMS Cocker (originally launched as the KOS 19) approximately 50 miles west of Alexandria. A first spread of torpedoes was fired at 0217 which missed the ships. A second spread of torpedoes was fired at 0325 which hit and sank the Samos. At 0400 a third spread of torpedoes was fired in which one torpedo hit the Balmaha which disappeared in a flaming inferno, a cloud of smoke and flames was seen rising about 300 meters into the air. The Pass of Balmaha sank at position 31.14N/28.50E in over 1000 meters of water taking the Master, Stanley Kirby Hardy (Master Certificate No.43649), 15 crew, and 2 gunners with it (all hands lost).                             Tower Hill Memorial Photo used by permission of Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Captain Stanley Kilby Hardy is commemmorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, Tower Hill, London, England (Panel 80) as are all casualties of this ship loss. Captain Hardy is also commemmorated at the Bedford Modern School War Memorial, and at St. Michaels. We would like to thank Mr. Chris White of www.historicalrfa.org for providing us with information concerning two of the officers lost during the sinking of the ship. The Pass of Balmaha was short two watch officers prior to its departure from Alexandria on 16 October. RFA Third Officers Joseph A. Condy and Douglas B. Martin from the RFA Reliant and RFA Slavol respectively, were temporarily assigned duty onboard the Pass of Balmaha as the 2nd and 3rd Officers during the ship's fateful voyage and are among those lost as a result of the sinking. References: Miramar Single Ship Report for "1163387" http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/1156.html http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-4110-37OCT02.htm http://www.nexusboard.net/showthread.php?siteid=6365&threadid=264356 http://www.historicalrfa.org/archived-stories/111-the-loss-of-steam-ship-pass-of-balmaha http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol013hk.html http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Bedfordshire/WoburnSandsRollofHonour.html http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=12822 http://www.plimsollshipdata.org/ http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/ports/index.html?search.php?vessel=PASS%20OF%20BALMAHA~armain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?title=Talk:Siege_of_Tobruk#Cultivate http://www.mkheritage.co.uk/wsc/docs/WW2-STANLEYHARDY.html A Midshipman's War: A Young Man in the Mediterranean Naval War 1941-1943 (By Frank Wade) PANZER CAMPAIGNS Tobruk 1941 - Rommel's Opening Move (by Jon Latimer)