Editing SS City of Flint (1919) (section)

==The ''Athenia''==
The ''City of Flint'', under the command of Captain [[Joseph Gainard|Joseph A. Gainard]], first became involved in the war when she rescued 200 survivors of the torpedoed British passenger liner {{SS|Athenia|1922|2}} on 3 September 1939.{{sfn|Naval History and Heritage Command: Gainard}} ''Athenia'' had been torpedoed that afternoon by the {{GS|U-30|1936|6}} commanded by Kapitanleutnant [[Fritz-Julius Lemp]] south of [[Rockall Bank]] (in the Atlantic Ocean west of Scotland and south of Iceland) and sent out a [[distress signal]].{{sfn|Cressman, Official Chronology, Chapter I: 1939|p=3 September 1939}} ''City of Flint'', the Norwegian freighter ''Knute Nelson'', the Swedish yacht ''Southern Cross'' and the destroyers {{HMS|Electra|H27|6}} and {{HMS|Escort|H66|6}} responded to rescue survivors.{{sfn|Cressman, Official Chronology, Chapter I: 1939|p=3 September 1939}}

The Captain of HMS ''Electra'', Lt Cdr Sammy A. Buss, took charge as senior officer present. He sent the destroyer {{HMS|Fame|H78|6}} on an [[anti-submarine]] sweep of the area, while ''Electra'', ''Escort'', ''Southern Cross'', ''Knute Nelson'' and the ''City of Flint'' rescued the survivors. Between the ships, about 981 passengers and crew were rescued. ''City of Flint'' rescued more than 200 and the provisions for American passengers leaving Europe who had embarked at Glasgow contributed to the welfare of the survivors.{{sfn|Naval History and Heritage Command: Gainard}} One hundred and twelve people were killed, and ''Athenia'' sank the next morning.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}