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3/4 port stern view of M.V. ARANTAZ MENDI at Cardiff Docks, c. 1936

Built 1923 by Cia. Euskalduna de Construccion Naval, Bilbao (with a diesel engine supplied by Harland & Wolff Ltd.) for Compania Naviera Sota y Aznar, Bilbao. 1936 - Transferred to Societa Anonima Cooperativa Di Navigazione Garibaldi of Genoa, and renamed LECCE due to the Spanish Civil War. 1938 - Returned to Cia. Naviera Aznar S. A. Bilbao, and her original name of ARANTZA-MENDI, before a final change of name to MONTE GORBEA in 1939. On the 19th September 1942 while en route from Buenos Aires to Bilbao with a 5800-ton cargo of wheat and beans, she was torpedoed by German submarine U-512, 60 miles east of Martinique despite the vessel's neutrallity and sank within a minute. 23 of the 46 crew members and 29 passengers died. The remainder of the crew (including the master) and four passengers reached Martinique by lifeboat. The U-boat's Captain Schultze faced a war tribunal on his return, but he and his submarine never made it back to land. About 19.37 hours on 19 Sep, 1942, the unescorted and neutral Monte Gorbea was hit by one torpedo from U-512 and sank within one minute about 60 miles east of Martinique. The ship had been first sighted at 16.41 hours and Schultze decided to sink the vessel despite of seeing the neutral flag, assuming it to be a ruse of war. The master, 22 crew members and four passengers managed to reach Martinique in a lifeboat. The BdU informed the commander by radio message that he had to expect a war tribunal on his return, but the U-boat was lost during the patrol. about the loss cause lost: torpedo date lost: 19 September 1942 casualties: 52 rank: 473 about people builder: next owners: [1] Cia. Naviera Aznar S. A. (From 1939~), Bilbao mv period 1938 ~ 1939 last owner: [2] MV Arantza-Mendi period 1938 ~ 1939