History
Canada
Name	Avondale Park
Owner	Canadian Government (1943) Ministry of War Transport (1944)
Operator	Park Steamship Co Ltd (1943) Witherington & Everett (1944)
Port of registry	Montreal
Builder	Pictou Shipyard, Foundation Maritime Ltd
Launched	February 1944
Completed	May 1944
Identification	Code Letters VDDN UK Official Number 175378
Fate	Torpedoed and sunk by U-2336, 7 May 1945
General characteristics
Tonnage	2,878 GRT 1,653 NRT
Length	315 ft 5 in (96.14 m)
Beam	46 ft 5 in (14.15 m)
Depth	22 ft 9 in (6.93 m)
Installed power	Triple expansion steam engine
Propulsion	Screw propellor
Crew	34, plus 4 DEMS gunners
Armament	1 x 4 inch deck gun aft 1 x 3 inch (76 mm)/50 caliber gun 4 x 20 mm Oerlikon 2 x Twin .50 cal. Machine Guns 20 x Rail Anti-Aircraft Rocket Launcher (Pillar Box) [1]

Avondale Park was a 2,872 GRT cargo ship which was built by Pictou Shipyard at Pictou, Nova Scotia in 1944. She was the last merchant ship to be sunk by Germany in the Second World War, on 7 May 1945, the day of German surrender. She was built as merchant steamship constructed for Canada’s Merchant Navy in 1944 as part of Canada's Park ship program.

Description

The ship was built by Foundation Maritime Limited's Pictou Shipyard in Pictou, Nova Scotia. She was launched in February 1944,^[2] and completed in May 1944.^[3]

The ship was 315 feet 5 inches (96.14 m) long, with a beam of 46 feet 5 inches (14.15 m) and a depth of 22 feet 9 inches (6.93 m). She had a GRT of 2,878 and a NRT of 1,653.^[3]

She was propelled by a triple expansion steam engine which had cylinders 20 inches (51 cm), 31 inches (79 cm) and 55 inches (140 cm) diameter by 39 inches (99 cm) stroke. The engine was built by Canada Iron Foundries, Three Rivers, Quebec.^[3]

History

Avondale Park was built for the Canadian Government and operated by the Park Steamship Co Ltd. The United Kingdom Official Number 175378 and code letters VDDN were allocated. Her port of registry was Montreal, under the British flag.^[3] She was later chartered by the Ministry of War Transport, who placed her under the management of Witherington & Etheridge, Newcastle upon Tyne.^[2]

Avondale Park was a member of Convoy EN 491, which departed Hull on 6 May 1945 bound for Belfast via Methil. On 7 May 1945, the convoy was attacked by U-2336 and two ships were sunk, Sneland I and Avondale Park, which became the last British merchant ship to be sunk during the Second World War.^[2] The sinking, at just after 23:00 on 7 May 1945, was in the last hours of the Second World War in Europe, with the official surrender taking place at 23:01 on 8 May 1945.^[4] Avondale Park sank at 56°05′N 02°32′W / 56.083°N 2.533°W / 56.083; -2.533. Two of the 38 crew were lost.^[2] A signal had been sent to the U-boats on 4 May 1945 ordering them to surrender but U-2336 did not receive the signal.^[5]