SS Maloja (1906)

History
Name	Tosto (1906-1932) Panis (1932-1937) Highbury (1937-1938) Nora (1938-1940) Maloja (1940-1943)
Owner	Swiss Shipping Co. Ltd.
Port of registry	Basel, Switzerland
Builder	Austin S. P. & Son Ltd.
Yard number	236
Launched	5 June 1906
Completed	July 1906
Acquired	July 1906
Maiden voyage	July 1906
In service	July 1906
Out of service	7 September 1943
Identification	HBDI Official No.: 2
Fate	Sunk 7 September 1943
General characteristics
Type	Cargo ship
Tonnage	1,781 GRT
Length	81.59 metres (267 ft 8 in)
Beam	11.52 metres (37 ft 10 in)
Depth	5.28 metres (17 ft 4 in)
Installed power	1 x 3-cyl. triple expansion engine
Propulsion	Screw propeller
Speed	9 knots
Crew	23

SS Maloja was a Swiss cargo ship that was mistakenly sunk by German aircraft in the Mediterranean Sea off Cap Revellata, Corsica on 7 September 1943 while she was travelling from Lisbon, Portugal to Genoa, Italy while carrying a cargo of 1800 tons of copra oil and 220 tons of bagged copra.^[1][2]

Maloja was built at the Austin S. P. & Son Ltd. shipyard in Sunderland, United Kingdom in June 1906, where she was launched and completed that same year. The ship was 81.59 metres (267 ft 8 in) long, had a beam of 11.52 metres (37 ft 10 in) and had a depth of 5.28 metres (17 ft 4 in). She was assessed at 1,781 GRT and had a three cylinder triple expansion engine driving a single screw propeller. The ship could generate 1200 r.h.p. with a speed of 9 knots.^[1]

Maloja was travelling from Lisbon, Portugal to Genoa, Italy while carrying a cargo of 1800 tons of copra oil and 220 tons of bagged copra when on 7 September 1943 at 16:15, she was mistakenly attacked by 10 German aircraft with machine guns and torpedoes in the Mediterranean Sea off Cap Revellata, Corsica. The ship caught fire after a torpedo hit and sank in 7 minutes with the loss of three of her 23 crew members. The 20 survivors rowed a distance of some 65 km to Calvi Corsica in one of the remaining shot up lifeboats over night. They arrived the morning of 8 September 1943 alive, but shattered and many with injuries. From the bay in Calvi they were received by the occupying Italien forces and all taken to the military hospital in Calvi.^[3]

The wreck of Maloja lies at (42°50′N 08°11′E / 42.833°N 8.183°E / 42.833; 8.183).^[3]