Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

S.S. Southborough was sunk on 16 July 1918 by torpedo fired by German submarine UB-110 approximately 5 nautical miles North by East of Scarborough. She was struck on the starboard side of the forward bunker and sank almost immediately. She was en route from La Goulette to the Tees with a cargo of iron ore.

She was built in 1910 by the Sunderland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. and was owned by the Hazelwood Shipping Co. Ltd.

According to the men, the Southborough was in sight of land en route from a French port when she was torpedoed. She was heavily laden with iron ore, and sank in less than a minute, precipitating all onboard into the water. The weather was fine, and the Southborough was one of a convoy of 47 vessels. The man in the crow's nest sighted the track of the torpedo about 12.30 p.m., and the next moment the vessel was a complete wreck forward. The lookout man, who immediately slid down one of the foremast stays, had barely reached the deck before the vessel went down at the bow.  J. Franklin, an able seaman, who was dragged under by the suction, had an extremely narrow escape of being cut down by the vessel's propeller as the stern came down after the vessel's dive at tho bow. 'The captain was in charge,' said a seaman yesterday, ''and we could see the buildings on shore. Then in one minute 28 of our number were dead. I saw poor Captain, Eade haul himself on to some wreckage only to be immediately washed off again. The end came so suddenly that the destroyers and trawlers had no chance to effect a rescue.'