SS Bakio (1904)

The SS Bakio was a British-built steamship operated by the Spanish shipping company Naviera Sota y Aznar. The ship was built in 1904 and sunk on 30 April 1916 by German U-boat SM U-20, the same U-boat that sank the RMS Lusitania on 7 May 1915.[1][2]

SS Bakio
Undated photo of the SS Bakio.
History
Spain
NameSS Bakio
NamesakeBakio
OwnerNaviera Sota y Aznar
BuilderCampbeltown Shipbuilding Company
Yard number71
Completed1904
In service1904–1916
FateSunk by SM U-20 on 30 April 1916
General characteristics
TypeSteamer
Tonnage1,906 tons
Length86.1 m (282 ft 6 in)
Beam12.2 m (40 ft 0 in)
Draft6.1 m (20 ft 0 in)
Propulsion1 x 3 cylinder triple expansion engine, single shaft, 1 screw

Career

The SS Bakio was built by the Campbeltown Shipbuilding Company in 1904 and sold to the Spanish shipping company Naviera Sota y Aznar, based in Bilbao.[3][4] The ship was last spotted on 29 April 1916 off the coast of Peniche, Portugal.[3] The ship was traveling from Sagunto, Spain, to Montreal, Canada, carrying a cargo of iron ore.[3][4] The ship was sunk on 30 April 1916 by German U-boat SM U-20 in the Atlantic Ocean after being struck by torpedoes.[1][2][3][4] The site of the wreck has never been located.[1]

The sinking of the SS Bakio by SM U-20 seems to contradict the U-boat's sinking of the French schooner Bernadette the next day, 1 May 1916, south of Ireland.[1][5] The schooner was sunk 700 miles (1,100 km) away from the SS Bakio's last known location at Peniche, and at the U-boat's top speed of 15.4 knots (28.5 km/h; 17.7 mph), it would have taken just under 40 hours to travel from the SS Bakio's last known location to the site the Bernadette was sunk.[3][5][6]

References
  1. "Ships hit by U 20". Uboat.net. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  2. Spence, E. Lee (2017). "Shipwrecks of April 30". Shipwrecks.com. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  3. Lettens, Jan (30 April 2017). "SS Bakio (+1916)". WrestSite.eu. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  4. "Bakio". Uboat.net. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  5. "Bernadette". Uboat.net. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  6. "Type U 19". Uboat.net. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
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