Clan Macleod

Masters: 1904 R K Cowie: 1907-09 HG Fishenden: 1915 HS Southward.

On a voyage from Chittagong for London when Clan Macleod was 100 miles ESE of Malta on 1 December 1915 she was attacked by gunfire from German submarine (U-33 Lt Cdr Ganser). The U-boat was first seen at 7.45am & after trying unsuccessfully to escape Captain Southward stopped his engines & sent a wireless message of surrender. He waited on the bridge for a reply & was astonished when the shells kept coming. One hit the bridge & the master was wounded. The boats were got out but they were machine-gunned with nine men killed & six wounded, of whom three later died. All the boats on the starboard side were smashed. The lifeboat & cutter managed to get away & the master was summoned aboard the U-boat. Ganser was in a state of fury but eventually allowed the lifeboat, carrying 51 persons, to leave. They were picked up the following morning. The cutter, with the 1^st officer & 19 men, was picked up on 4 December. After about 4 months in hospital the master returned safely to England. 12 lives were lost & many were injured.

Lives lost December 1915: Abdul, Bakhshu, lascar, India; Abdur Razzaq, lascar, India; Mughaljan Ali, servant, India; Muhammad Husain Ilahi Bakhsh, donkeyman, India; Panchu Indu, cook, India; Qadir Muhammad Qudratullah; Siraj Miyan Babru Miyan, oilman, India. 

This section will, in time, contain the stories of more than 450 merchant ships built or owned in the Hartlepools, and which were lost during the First World War. As an illustration of the truly global nature of shipbuilding, these ships were owned by companies from 22 different countries, including more than 30 sailing under the German flag at the outbreak of war.