At 22:10hrs BST on 23 August 1940, while en-route from Leith to Baltimore in ballast, she was bombed by torpedo-carrying German Heinkel aircraft based at Stavanger. The first bomb hit the starboard side amidships, splitting the deck open. A second bomb exploded near No.4 hold, severely damaging the starboard side forward of the funnel. The vessel took an immediate list to port. Eighteen men got away in the port lifeboat. Nine others attempted to escape in the starboard boat, but one was killed in the attempt. The remaining nine got away in the port jolly boat, but seven of them were lost when the jolly boat capsized, throwing all of the occupants into the water. The Captain reported that when he abandoned ship three or four minutes after the attack, the Llanishen was listing about 40 degrees to port and looked as if she was about to roll over on to the lifeboats at any moment.
The attack on the Llanishen was seen by Captain Bain of the Makalla, one of the vessels in the same convoy and after abandoning ship, Captain John E. Thomas of the Llanishen, saw the Makalla and the MV Beacon Grange, (10,119grt), which had also been attacked, burning in the distance. The Beacon Grange was towed in by the tugs Buccaneer and Salvage King and beached.
After about 2 hours the survivors from the Llanishen were picked up by the Kylebrook and landed at Lyness. The Llanishen was owned by Evan Thomas Radcliffe & Co.
Built in 1929 by Bartram & Sons, she was 400.5' x 54' x 25.9', (120m long by 16m wide). Steel built and London registered, her triple-expansion engines developed 302 nhp. She 5033 gross tons.
She lies now in approximately 60m of water in WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 58.39075, -2.66023 although Lloyds and British vessels lost at Sea 1939-45 give the position of attack as 581700N, 022700W, while Dictionary of Disasters at Sea gives "about 30 miles N of Banff". She is recorded by the Hydrographic Department at 582100N, 023200W PA. (This is 18 miles SE of Noss Head).
The attack on the Llanishen was seen by Captain Bain of the Makalla, one of the vessels in the same convoy and after abandoning ship, Captain John E. Thomas of the Llanishen, saw the Makalla and the MV Beacon Grange, (10,119grt), which had also been attacked, burning in the distance. The Beacon Grange was towed in by the tugs Buccaneer and Salvage King and beached.
After about 2 hours the survivors from the Llanishen were picked up by the Kylebrook and landed at Lyness. The Llanishen was owned by Evan Thomas Radcliffe & Co.
Built in 1929 by Bartram & Sons, she was 400.5' x 54' x 25.9', (120m long by 16m wide). Steel built and London registered, her triple-expansion engines developed 302 nhp. She 5033 gross tons.
She lies now in approximately 60m of water in WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 58.39075, -2.66023 although Lloyds and British vessels lost at Sea 1939-45 give the position of attack as 581700N, 022700W, while Dictionary of Disasters at Sea gives "about 30 miles N of Banff". She is recorded by the Hydrographic Department at 582100N, 023200W PA. (This is 18 miles SE of Noss Head).