PLM 27
Bulk Ore Carrier · Free France · Lost 1942 · Newfoundland
A Free French ore carrier sunk within minutes of SS Rose Castle when U-518 attacked the Bell Island anchorage in November 1942.
Become Captain of Record
The Vessel and Her Loss
PLM 27 was a French-flagged vessel that had been at sea when France fell in 1940 and was subsequently assigned by the Allies to the Bell Island ore run. On the night of November 2, 1942, U-518 entered the Wabana anchorage and torpedoed Rose Castle, then PLM 27, which sank almost immediately with the loss of 12 men. The submarine escaped on the surface despite the presence of Canadian escort vessels.
Vessel
- Not established
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- Steel
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- Steam
- Chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée; requisitioned for Allied ore transport
Loss
- November 2, 1942
- Enemy action
- Wabana anchorage ("The Tickle"), Bell Island, Conception Bay, Newfoundland
- Conception Bay
- Bell Island (Wabana), Newfoundland → Sydney, Nova Scotia
- Iron ore
- Not established
- 12
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The Wreck Today
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Position
- Not established
- Approximate position
- Bell Island, Conception Bay, Newfoundland
General location is the Wabana anchorage south of Bell Island; a precise verified position was not available in the sources reviewed.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (68/100)
Vessel dimensions, tonnage, and year built are not established in the sources reviewed.
Sydney Steel Museum
Ownership background and role in the Bell Island ore trade.
Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador
Attack narrative and casualty figures for November 2, 1942.
