MS Ponzano was a British cargo ship. It was one of the first British merchant vessels to be sunk during the Second World War. Ponzano, 1,346 tons,[1] was built in 1928 for the MacAndrews Line service between Britain and Spain.

SS Ponzano
History
OwnerMacAndrews Line
Launched21 December 1927
FateSunk 1939
General characteristics
TypeCargo ship
Tonnage1,346 GRT

On 13 November 1939, Ponzano hit a mine and sank off North Foreland.[2] Its crew was rescued by two Norwegian fishing boats.

The ship's fate[3] was blamed on a wrongly decoded radio signal, which delayed minesweeping trawlers from passing on a warning about the extent of mines laid by the Germans.

References

edit
  1. ^ "MacAndrews & Co". The Fleets. The Ships List. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  2. ^ "Ponzano [+1939]". WreckSite. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  3. ^ Carlson, Andy. "The Mining of HMS Blanche, S.S. Ponzano and S.S. Matra". Retrieved 20 September 2013.

51°29′N 1°25′E / 51.483°N 1.417°E / 51.483; 1.417