The OAKBANK

The OAKBANK was built in 1926, one of 18 vessels in the same order. She was in ballast when sunk by U-507 in the Atlantic.

 Captain Stewart and an Apprentice were taken on board the U-boat.   They drowned 12 days later when the U-boat herself was lost with all hands.  The ship had been in ballast and en route from Durban, S.Africa to Demarara to load for the UK when caught by the U-507 off of Fortaleza, Brazil.  24 crew and 3 gunners were lost when she went down.  The Brazilian ship, COMMANDANTE RIPPER picked up 32 persons from boats, and 2 crew  on a raft reached the coast by themselves landing in Para, Brazil.   An Argentinian tanker found a person in the water and proceeded to Recife to land the survivor.  The total souls on board had been 63 out of which a total of 35 survived the ordeal.    The U Boat was sunk by depth charges dropped from a U.S. Catalina aircraft near Fortalez.