Technical
passenger/general cargo vessel -�twin-screw, oil burning vessel. -� 7,988 GRT - 6,456 DWT 437'2" x 59'1" x 24'
Service speed 14 knots

Master Capt. Huntly Osborne Giffen

The U-66 was 180 miles east of Hatteras when she detected a Canadian ship bound from Montreal to ports in the West-Indies and South America.� The night was moonless and the ship was zigzagging at 9 knots. At about 01.35 CET the ship was intercepted by two bright lights to port.� It was U-66 running alongside.� The searchlights enabled Zapp to identify the ship as a cargo-passenger liner.

Zapp then steamed at highest speed ahead of the ship's course, swung hard-a-port and� exactly eight minutes later fired two torpedoes from his stern tubes from a distance of 1200 meters.� Apparently the Lady Hawkins detected the torpedoes since the ship took emergency evasive manoeuvres.� Both torpedoes, however, struck their target.� The first exploded in hold No.2 forward of the bridge, the second in hold No.3 near the engine room bulkhead.� The ship immediately took a list.�

As the ship started to sink passengers and crew abandoned her.� Three out of the six lifeboats couldn't be lowered because of the list.� Zapp watched the ship begin to go down.� After twenty minutes the Lady Hawkins was gone.

The Master, 85 crew, 1 gunner, 2 'Distressed British Subjects' and 162 passengers were lost.� The Chief Officer; 21 crew and 49 passengers were rescued after 5 days by the US steamer Coamo from a lifeboat and brought� to San Juan, Puerto Rico.� Chief Officer� Percy A. Kelly was awarded the MBE and the Lloyd's War Medal for bravery at sea.

Many thanks to Walter Janssens for the extensive additions to this page.

Unless otherwise stated, all dates and times are from the German perspective and are given in CET.
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