User:Houlihan/SS Sampa

SS Sampa was a Liberty Ship that was built in 1943 at the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland. Originally laid down on 31 July 1943 as keel number 1774 and named William Smallwood, the ship was launched on 28 August 1943 and transferred to the British MoWT (Ministry of War Transport), under the wartime lend lease arrangement. The ship was re-named SS Sampa, in line with the practice of the day of renaming British operated Liberty Ships as SS Sam(something) see List of Liberty ships (S–Z); presumably a reference to the American 'Uncle Sam' character. SS Sampa sailed under the colours of the Houlder Bros, which was a black funnel with dark red band and white Maltese cross.

On 27th February 1945, SS Sampa was en route from the Port of Antwerp to Tilbury when, at 5.12 p.m. she struck a mine in the North Sea approximately one and a half miles N. of the North Foreland No. 9 Buoy. The mine detonated on the port side and was of sufficient force that it broke the ship in half. The explosion killed 12 of the crew outright and a further 4 later died from their injuries. She was assisted by the escort ship HMS Middleton, but sank within 12 minutes of striking the mine.

In 1962 the submerged wreck was broken up by dynamite, as she posed a risk to shipping on the approach to the Scheldt estuary. The remains of SS Sampa can still be detected on the sea bed as a 2m high anomaly. A number of Sherman tank hulks are scattered around the wreck site. It is reasonable to assume these were being returned to Britain from Antwerp for repair.

Details of those who were killed when SS Sampa was mined are recorded at the Tower Hill Memorial - The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has a searchable facility for locating the names of those who fell in service of the nation since the First World War.