Owner BHP Shipping Completed October 1937 Launched 1937 | Tonnage 4,812 GRT Length 123 m | |
 | ||
Identification UK Official Number 159568Code Letters VLJZ Fate Torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-21 on 8 February 1943 | ||
SS Iron Knight was a 4,812 GRT Australian iron ore carrier which was sunk during World War II by a Japanese submarine.
Contents
History
Iron Knight was built by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow for Broken Hill Proprietary Company, Broken Hill. She was completed in October 1937 and was homeported in Melbourne under the British Flag.
On 8 February 1943, Iron Knight was part of Convoy OC 68 from Whyalla, South Australia up the east coast of New South Wales to Newcastle, New South Wales. At 2:30 am, a torpedo fired by Japanese submarine I-21 at escorts HMAS Townsville and HMAS Mildura passed under the bow of Townsville and struck Iron Knight, which was at the head of the convoy. Her position was 36°31′S 150°23′E.
Iron Knight sank, bow first, within two minutes. Out of the crew of 50 only 14 survived after climbing on board a single lifeboat, while the other 36 crew members' lives were claimed by Iron Knight's sinking. The convoy steamed ahead and the survivors were picked up by the French destroyer Le Triomphant ten hours later.
The wreck of the Iron Knight was discovered in waters off the town of Bermagui, New South Wales at a depth of approximately 125 metres (410 ft). The wreck was officially declared a protected wreck on 4 August 2006. The crew of Iron Knight who lost their lives in the attack are commemorated on the Newcastle Mercantile Marine Memorial, outside Newcastle railway station
Official number and code letters
Official Numbers were a forerunner to IMO Numbers. Iron Knight had the UK Official Number 159568 and used the Code Letters VLJZ.