Emergencies and World Disasters
The Day the Ocean Gave Back Nothing: The Almeda Star Mystery
22 min•4 oktober 2026
Om avsnittet
The Day the Ocean Gave Back Nothing: The Almeda Star Mystery
A British passenger and cargo liner carrying 360 people vanished from the North Atlantic with no lifeboats, no wreckage and no survivors recovered - seven destroyers searched for days and found nothing. What can explain four lifeboats lowered from a ship that took four torpedoes and a surfaced U‑boat that lingered for over two hours and then left without a trace?
In this episode, we present the events surrounding the sinking of the SS Almeda Star and the documented actions in the hours before and after her loss, asking how so many lives could disappear into open sea with no physical trace.
Person: SS Almeda Star
Date: January 17, 1941
Location: North Atlantic, north of Rockall
Event: Torpedoed by U‑96; no survivors or lifeboats recovered
Passengers: 194 passengers and 142 Fleet Air Arm personnel
- Seven Royal Navy destroyers swept the same stretch of North Atlantic water for days and found no survivors or debris.
- The ship was carrying a total of 360 people: 194 passengers and 142 Fleet Air Arm personnel from three squadrons.
- The Almeda Star was built at Cammell Laird with keel laid in 1926, launched June 29, 1926, and made her maiden voyage February 16, 1927.
- After a 1935 rebuild she was lengthened from 512 feet to 578 feet and her furnaces reduced from 32 to 28.
- On January 15, 1941 she departed Liverpool bound for the River Plate and was making 16 knots two days later when U‑96 found her.
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© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
A British passenger and cargo liner carrying 360 people vanished from the North Atlantic with no lifeboats, no wreckage and no survivors recovered - seven destroyers searched for days and found nothing. What can explain four lifeboats lowered from a ship that took four torpedoes and a surfaced U‑boat that lingered for over two hours and then left without a trace?
In this episode, we present the events surrounding the sinking of the SS Almeda Star and the documented actions in the hours before and after her loss, asking how so many lives could disappear into open sea with no physical trace.
Person: SS Almeda Star
Date: January 17, 1941
Location: North Atlantic, north of Rockall
Event: Torpedoed by U‑96; no survivors or lifeboats recovered
Passengers: 194 passengers and 142 Fleet Air Arm personnel
- Seven Royal Navy destroyers swept the same stretch of North Atlantic water for days and found no survivors or debris.
- The ship was carrying a total of 360 people: 194 passengers and 142 Fleet Air Arm personnel from three squadrons.
- The Almeda Star was built at Cammell Laird with keel laid in 1926, launched June 29, 1926, and made her maiden voyage February 16, 1927.
- After a 1935 rebuild she was lengthened from 512 feet to 578 feet and her furnaces reduced from 32 to 28.
- On January 15, 1941 she departed Liverpool bound for the River Plate and was making 16 knots two days later when U‑96 found her.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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