Iniziativa Ricostruzione Storica - ONORE AI VINTI

[Keltos]

Prendo spunto dalla geniale idea di Scirè per lanciare una iniziativa di ricostruzione storica chiamata

 

 

“ONORE AI VINTI”

 

 

Ricostruiamo la storia delle navi affondate dai Regi Sommergibili in Atlantico durante il secondo conflitto. Le notizie, così come i documenti fotografici, possono essere reperiti da qualsiasi fonte uno abbia a disposizione (Internet, libri, testimonianze ecc.).

 

Tutte le informazioni ricavate devono essere inserite a seguire in questo topic. Evitando commenti non pertinenti alla pura ricerca storica, che potrete fare al di fuori del presente topic. Questo per non creare “spamming” inutile e confusionario.

 

Chi desidera partecipare all’iniziativa comunichi su quale nave effettuerà le “indagini” aprendo un post in questo stesso topic, che poi andrà a modificare una volta ottenute le informazioni. Mi raccomando cerchiamo di mantenere ordine!

 

La lista da cui scegliere la nave su cui focalizzare le ricerche la trovate a questo Link

 

 

Partecipate numerosi.

 

Keltos

[Marco U-78 Scirè]

Io prendo il R.Smg. Calvi

 

Iniziamo...

 

Carlton, 5,162grt (R. Chapman & Sons). Sunk in the Atlantic on the 20th December 1940 by the Italian submarine Pietro Calvi. All the crew abandoned ship in two boats. The Captain's boat overturned in the night and 18 men drowned. The Chief Officer George W. Robinson's boat with 16 men was found 18 days later with only 4 men still alive.

 

...Altri attacchi si susseguirono, tutti in condizioni atmosferiche molto sfavorevoli, ed il 20 dicembre il Calvi fu attaccato dal piroscafo britannico CARLTON che aprì il fuoco con una grossa mitragliera. Il battello, dopo una pronta immersione, si portò in posizione d’attacco e intorno alle ore 14.00 affondò il piroscafo. Il Carlton era un’unità dispersa del convoglio OB.260 di 5.168 t.s.l., costruita nel 1924 dai cantieri “Short Bros. Ltd”, di Sunderland ed apparteneva alla “Chapman & Co. So., R” di Newcastle upon Tyne. L’affondamento avvenne in posizione 55°18’N, 18°49’W e dei 35 membri dell’equipaggio solamente 4 furono tratti in salvo.

 

 

 

[Marco U-78 Scirè]

 

... dopo i mancati inseguimenti dei giorni precedenti, il 9 aprile il Calvi raggiunse la petroliera statunitense EUGENE V. R. THAYER di 7.138 t.s.l. che era in navigazione isolata. La petroliera fu affondata con il siluro e con oltre 120 proietti da 120 mm. Questa petroliera apparteneva alla “Sinclair Navigation” di New York ed era stata costruita nel 1920 dai cantieri americani “Bethlehem Shipbuilding”. La posizione al momento dell’attacco era 02° 35’S, 39° 58’W a largo del Golfo di Patos, ma l’affondamento ebbe luogo in posizione 02°36’S, 39°43’W; non ci sono informazioni circa la sorte dell’equipaggio, ma l’annuario della “U.S. Merchant Marine” (la Marina mercantile Statunitense) cita 11 morti.

[Marco U-78 Scirè]

 

...Il 31 marzo, il battello intercettò la petroliera statunitense T.C. MCCOBB che fu affondata alle prime ore del 1 aprile con ben 5 siluri a numerosi proietti da 120 mm. Questa nave era la prima di nazionalità statunitense affondata da un sommergibile italiano.

Questa petroliera di 7,452 t.s.l. era stata costruita nel 1936 dai cantieri “Federal Shipbuilding” del New Jersey (Stati Uniti) ed apparteneva alla gigantesca compagnia petrolifera “Standard Oil” di New York. Dei membri dell’equipaggio, 24 persero la vita, mentre i rimanenti 15 furono tratti in salvo. La posizione di quest’affondamento è data a 7°10’N, 45°20’W. I resoconti dell’equipaggio della petroliera reportano che l’attacco cominciò in torno alle 16.25 quando il Calvi, ad una certa distanza, aprì il fuoco con il cannone. La petroliera sospese la manovra a zigzag per procede in corso diretto portando i motori al massimo della velocità nella speranza di mantenere una certa distanza fino all’imbrunire. La massima velocità del McCobb, di soli 12.7 nodi, permise al Calvi di avvicinarsi ed intorno alle 17 il battello ricominciò il fuoco, questa volta centrando il bersaglio con quasi tutti i proietti. Dopo venti minuti, il comandante della nave, C. L.C. Robert W. Overbeck, ordinò l’arresto dei motori e l’abbandono nave. Tre lance riuscirono ad allontanarsi dallo scafo ed i superstiti furono tratti in salvo alcuni giorni dopo mentre erano in rotta per la costa sudamericana.

 

R. Smg. Pietro CALVI

Giornale di Bordo

 

« Giorno 31 marzo 1942.

 

« 15.00 - In latitudine 06°29'N long. 44°58'W avvisto una petroliera navigante con rotta 340° su rilevamento polare 120°.

 

« 15.12 - Messo in moto l'altro motore termico, manovro per guadagnare sul beta. La petroliera procede zigzagando con rotte che variano da 270° a 20°. Velocità nodi 12. Non ritengo di essere stato avvistato. Per guadagnare sulla petroliera aumento l'andatura sino a 300 giri a sinistra e 280-290 a dritta. Non posso forzare per molto tempo perché ho una lesione al cilindro n. 3 del motore termico di dritta. Ad andature forti si ha una scia oleosa

rilevante.

 

« 15.14 - Immersione. Assumo rotta 140° opposta alla direttrice di marcia del bersaglio. Devo eseguire l'attacco col periscopio di esplorazione perché quello di attacco è inservibile. Data la forza del mare (forza 5) è molto difficile tenere il sommergibile in quota.

 

« 18.45 - Avvisto su alfa 10°, beta 20° a sinistra il nemico. Accosto a distanza 3.000 metri, a sinistra per andare all'attacco ed affioro completamente con la torretta e con la prora. Eseguo la rapida e scendo a quota 20 metri desistendo dall'eseguire l'attacco in immersione. Gli idrofoni mi danno rilevamento costante sulla dritta.

 

« 20.52 - II rilevamento idrofonico scade verso poppa.

 

« 21.05 - Emersione. Armamento ai pezzi. Inizio il tiro sulla petroliera che si allontana a tutta forza con rotta vera 290°. Le condizioni del mare mi impediscono di continuare il fuoco col pezzo di poppa. Dato il forte rollio, il tiro del pezzo di prora non è preciso.

 

« 21.16 - Cesso il fuoco e continuo l'inseguimento portando l'andatura dei motori alla massima sostenibile. Si guadagna molto poco.

 

« 22.52 - A distanza di 6.800 metri riapro il fuoco col pezzo di prora sulla petroliera. Non mi è possibile ritardare oltre per- ché il sole è al tramonto ed inizia il crepuscolo. La petroliera ha trasmesso segnale di soccorso. Dal traffico RT. risulta che ho attaccato la petroliera americana T.C. McCobb della Compagnia Standard Oil of New Jersey, New York. Nominativo RT internazionale WOGU.

 

« 23.15 - Rallento il ritmo di fuoco perché la petroliera, colpita da 10 colpi e fermate le macchine, procede a lento moto per Rv. 350 ed ammaina 4 lance. Poche persone hanno preso posto sulle imbarcazioni.

 

« 23.33 - Lancio di prora un siluro che dopo aver fatto la corsa a freddo colpisce la petroliera sotto la plancia.

 

« 23.47 - Lancio di poppa un siluro che colpisce la petroliera sotto il fumaiolo. La nave non affonda.

 

« 23.59 - Lancio di poppa un siluro che colpisce la petroliera tra la plancia ed il fumaiolo. La nave non affonda. Mare maneggevole da greco.

 

« Giorno 1° aprile 1942.

 

« 00.07 - Lancio di prora un siluro che colpisce la petroliera tra la plancia ed il fumaiolo. La nave, pur avendo tutto il fianco squarciato e la poppa quasi a pelo d'acqua, non affonda.

 

« 00.16 - Lancio di poppa un siluro che colpisce la nave tra

la plancia ed il fumaiolo. La petroliera non affonda.

 

« 00.28 - Lancio di prora un siluro che non esplode.

 

« 01.00 - Mi allontano per-Rv. 120° mentre la petroliera si abbassa sempre più di poppa.

 

« 01.15 - Si vede la petroliera affondare con la prora in alto

 

(latitudine 07°19'N, long. 45°44'W ) ».

 

 

The Sinking of the Esso Tanker T. C. McCobb

 

by Bruce Felknor

 

Lifeboats play a big part in the drama and tragedy of merchant mariners in World War II. When the unarmed Esso tanker T. C. McCobb went down on March 31, 1942, four hundred miles off Brazil's north coast, it set in motion a whole series of lifeboat tales of luck, death, and everything between.

 

The Chase

At 4:25 pm a few distant booms broke the routine of uneventful day in the tropics. Far astern, a submarine was running on the surface at full speed, firing deck guns at the McCobb. The six-year-old tanker stopped zig-zagging and steered into the setting sun to make a harder target. Down below, the engineers performed miracles which got her close to her certified speed of 12.7 knots. The submarine was making close to 17. After 20 shots the firing stopped, but the chase went on, and by 5:40 the sub had closed to within a mile. It resumed fire, and soon every shot was a direct hit. Captain Robert W. Overbeck ordered the engines stopped, and prepared to abandon ship. The sub ceased fire as three lifeboats got away.

 

Abandon Ship

A moderately heavy sea was running, and lifeboat No. 1 was released from the falls while it was still in the air. It crashed down on a battering wave and soon was hardly afloat. Shell fragments had punctured the No. 2 boat, with Capt. Overbeck aboard, but in the gathering dusk the damage was not noticed until water began rushing in. No. 3 got away safely with the second mate, William Sims, in command.

 

As soon as the holes were patched, they went to the aid of boat No. 1, which was awash, with its passengers sitting in water and three men outside clinging to the gunwales. Sharks were so numerous it hindered the rescue.

 

Just after nightfall, a lookout spotted a dark shape approaching. It was the submarine, heading between boats No. 2 and No. 3. They watched as the sub put four torpedoes into the T.C. McCobb.

 

"She came upright with her bow sticking out of the water," Sims said later, "and stayed in that position for about 30 minutes. We saw a number of small fires aboard the tanker. By 9:15 p.m. [she] had finally slid down under the surface."

 

Good Luck for Lifeboat No. 3

At daybreak -- April Fools' Day -- the boats had drifted apart, and Sims set a course for the nearest land, French Guiana. They sailed for six days, maintaining discipline and spirit, volunteer crews standing two-hour watches, two men steering and one standing lookout. Second Mate Sims alternated six-hour watches with Third Mate Franklin Zahm.

 

The sixth day, April 5, was Easter Sunday. Morale was still high in the boat, but it took a dip when an armed tanker came into view a scant three miles away. But despite the lifeboat's yellow distress flag she zig-zagged on and disappeared.

 

On April 8, changing sea color signaled the approach of land. A patrol plane flew by without seeing them. Then Able Seaman John J. Waksimonski spotted smoke: a ship, headed directly for them.

 

Hardly able to walk after a week in the boat, the men were helped aboard SS Santa Monica, a Greek ship flying the Panamanian flag, with a British master, Commander John W. Bugge, RNR. "He told us to make ourselves at home," Sims said later.

 

"The steward brought rum, and we all had a good stiff shot, drinking a toast of thanksgiving to our benefactors. Then came hot coffee and fresh cigarettes. Dinner followed.

 

"The men of the Santa Monica gave up their places so we could eat first. Our first meal in eight days! Beautiful and well prepared, it did for us what a good rain does for parched grass."

 

The Santa Monica put back into Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana. The lifeboat had made 630 miles in 7 days and 16 hours, an average speed of 3.4 knots. "No one was sick or injured and we had no quarrels or fighting among the boat crew," Sims noted in his final log entry. "We still had enough water, chocolate, and hardtack for several days, and about half a pound of raisins."

 

From Paramaribo all 15 men from Boat No. 3 were promptly and safely repatriated.

 

Boat 2: Relatively Easy

The 19 men in the Captain's boat also had a relatively easy time of it-- as far as the South American shore. At dusk on April 6 they sighted a light, but distress flares drew no response. Twice, U.S. Army planes circled overhead, but nothing came of their frantic waves.

 

Due to strong unfavorable winds, they beached on an uninhabited stretch of French Guiana's coast for a night and a day. There they dug a well for fresh water, and boiled some of it to dress the injured hand of messman Roy A. Peacock.

 

Approaching Paramaribo they beached again near some fishermen, one of whom offered to pilot them into port for 50 guilders. Just then the Norwegian SS Marpesia appeared and took them aboard. "Captain Peter Malmstein and his crew gave us wonderful treatment," Capt. Overbeck reported.

 

Capt. Malmstein sent word to Paramaribo, and the Americans were met on arrival by a U.S. consular official, army ambulances, and Dutch authorities. They were hospitalized immediately on arrival on April 10, and except for the injured Peacock were moved to the local hotel on the 13th.

 

Eight of the nineteen were assigned to the SS Alcoa Puritan for repatriation. On May 6, on the way home, she was torpedoed and sunk in the Gulf of Mexico. The eight from the McCobb survived this sinking. They were rescued by the Coast Guard vessel Boutwell, which landed them safely at New Orleans.

 

Roy Peacock, with his injured hand, was discharged later from the hospital, and sent homeward on the Royal Dutch Line's SS Crijnssen, bound for New Orleans by way of British Guiana, Venezuela, and Curacâo. On June 10, three days out of Curacâo, she was torpedoed. Peacock escaped uninjured in a lifeboat.

 

"We floated around in a lifeboat all night," he said, "and the next morning set sail for shore. About 11 a.m. we sighted two vessels. One of them, SS Lebore, Ore Steamship Company, picked up the survivors..."

 

On June 14, four days after rescuing the Crijnssen survivors, the Lebore was torpedoed about 200 miles north of the Panama Canal Zone. Peacock and other survivors sailed their lifeboat all day and laid to overnight beside a small island.

 

Next morning natives directed them to a larger island, and while en route a U.S. Navy plane spotted them, dropped first-aid supplies, and reported their plight. A motorboat from Columbus Island towed them in. The next day Peacock and 26 other survivors boarded the USS Erie for the ride to Colon, C.Z.

 

On June 22, he left the Canal Zone aboard the Chilean Line's MS Coliapo, and finally reached New Orleans safely on June 29, nearly three months, six ships, 3 torpedoings, and three lifeboats after the sinking of the T.C. McCobb.

 

Three Men on a Raft

The two lifeboats accounted for 34 of the McCobb's crew; five crew were missing and presumed dead.

 

While Michael Wajda, the ship's electrician, was lowering a lifeboat, a burst of shrapnel caught him on the head and ankle, knocking him unconscious and hurling him overboard. He came to on a life raft, where he was being revived by Second Assistant Engineer Mahlon R. Benton and Third Assistant Lindgren Bancroft. For ten days Wajda drifted in and out of a coma.

 

The two engineers took stock: the raft was well-supplied with water, hardtack, and nourishing concentrated chocolate. It would last them many days. Benton and Bancroft fashioned a sail from two quarantine flags and managed to control the direction of their drift to some degree, southwest toward the Guiana coast.

 

As Wajda began to recover consciousness, the two men fed and nursed him along, and soon he recovered completely. The raft was drifting in a tropical rain belt and air and water temperatures were congenial. It rained every day; they caught fresh water and were not restricted to their emergency supply. But the constant rain raised mold on their hardtack, which soon became inedible.

 

Benton wove a net from fishing twine, and trolled it behind the drifting raft. They caught fish, and ate them raw. But the heads, scales, and entrails they threw over the side attracted sharks. When their tails slapped against the raft, the men feared it might overturn.

 

On the fourteenth day it was apparent that Benton was becoming ill. He grew steadily weaker, and soon could swallow neither fish nor water. On the twenty-fourth day, Mahlon Benton died. Bancroft and Wajda "put him overboard," Michael recalled later, "mumbling what prayers we could remember."

 

Soon after Benton's death, Wajda noticed that Bancroft was acting strangely. He said later, "Twice he tried to jump overboard. I grabbed him just in time. But on the 35th day he tried again. I grabbed him and we rolled around until he finally promised he would not try it again. Just then the raft lurched and he went over. I was too weak to try to save him."

 

Wajda remembered little after the death of Bancroft. He recalled seeing a ship in the distance. On the 45th day he saw muddy streaks in the water.

 

"I almost fainted for joy when I realized it meant land was near," he told an Associated Press reporter after his rescue. "The next day I was picked up."

 

Fifty days after the T.C. McCobb slid down to the bottom Wajda was landed at Georgetown, British Guiana, and taken to the hospital. Physicians who examined him there said his wounds had healed well and that his general condition was fairly good, although his circulation was poor due to lack of exercise.

 

"Sea Gives Back Sailor Son to Jersey Mother," was the headline in the New York Herald-Tribune on May 21. And that is how Michael Wajda's mother, in nearby New Jersey, learned that the son she had given up for dead had been returned to life. She abandoned the mourning garments she had worn for a month and joyously awaited the return of her son -- whom the news article said she would not recognize in "the red-bearded, sun-blackened young man, gaunt from hunger, who was picked up from a life raft that drifted toward the shore of British Guiana after forty-six days at sea."

 

The Submarine

When the submarine commander saw the McCobb being abandoned, he drew near to finish her off. He passed between the lifeboats without a word, then fired four torpedoes almost simultaneously. Second Mate Sims realized he was watching the new "smart torpedoes" in action.

 

The four left the bow tubes nearly simultaneously, ran straight on a course that would have completely missed the tanker, then made a 90-degree turn and smashed into the McCobb's starboard quarter.

 

This behavior made it clear that this sub had already been equipped with Germany's deadly new torpedoes that would run a pre-programmed course, and were also fitted with an acoustic homing device.

 

This submarine's entire technique differed from what had come to be expected of a U-boat: a prolonged stern chase with gunfire on the surface, overtaking and halting the prey, sinking it from the surface with four torpedoes fired nearly simultaneously; and no effort to interview the master.

 

The deviation is easily explained: this was an Italian sub, the Pietro Calvi, one of two working in the North Atlantic.

 

The Calvi's armament was formidable: a quartet of torpedo tubes both fore and aft, machine guns, and two 125-mm (4.7 in.) deck guns. She carried only 16 torpedoes; thus three more sinkings like that of the McCobb would send her back to her new base in Bordeaux, France, for more torpedoes.

 

The Pietro Calvi was sunk July 14, 1942 by the British HMS Lulworth.

 

Source:

Ships of the Esso Fleet in World War II, Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey, 1946

[Keltos]

Regio Sommergibile Tazzoli

Keltos

[Marco U-78 Scirè]

il Calvi intercettò ed affondò la motonave norvegese BALKIS di 2.161 t.s.l....

 

La Balkis era stata costruita dai cantieri “Akers Mekaniske” di Oslo e apparteneva alla compagnia di navigazione “Den Norske Middelhavslinje”.

 

Manager: Fred. Olsen & Co., Oslo

Tonnage: 2161 gt, 3190 tdwt.

Signal Letters: LKDT

Built in Oslo 1939.

 

Captain: Jens Tønder.

Final Fate - 1942:

 

Balkis had arrived New York on Jan. 31-1942, left there on Febr. 28 for St. Johns N. F. with arrival on March 3. She had a cargo of 2500 tons paper and pulp. Departed St. John's on the 25th for Halifax where she arrived on the 28th, then left for Buenos Aires on March 30. On April 10-1942 at 7:30 pm Brazilian time*, when off the coast of Brazil, 60 naut. miles north of Fortaleza she was torpedoed (after end of No. 2 hold, port side), shelled and sunk by the Italian submarine Pietro Calvi (Olivieri). All the lights went out, the engine was stopped. A report written by 2nd Mate Wilhelm Schinrud says the Brazilian oiler (with the very Norwegian sounding name Nils Iversen) was asleep down below and was never seen again, while the lookout, Able Seaman Erik Hansen and 2nd Cook Norman Olsen drowned**. It was believed that either the explosion from the torpedo, or the gun fire had killed Captain Tønder, 1st Mate Georg Samuelsen, 3rd Mate Nils Henriksen (both on watch on the bridge) as well as the stewardess Marget (Mary?) Halten.

* Rohwer gives the time as 00:24 on Apr. 11, Berlin time.

 

** "Nortraships flåte" states the Norwegian woman and the Chilean man drowned when one of the lifeboats malfunctioned and the other capsized. Wilhelm Schinrud's report was in part based on statements given to him by the injured helmsman (who had lost consciousness for a while), since he himself was down below when the torpedo hit.

 

The port lifeboat could not be launched because the block aft had been broken. Seeing no-one around from whom he could get further instructions, and observing that the bridge was under heavy fire, Able Seaman Harry Petttersen attempted to lower the starboard boat by himself, but the bow hit the water first and it filled with water due to the way of the ship. He went to his cabin to get a knife, then returned to the boat, got in it and cut it loose. The aft motorboat was also lowered, but when the forward rope was cut, it swung around and tossed several men into the water (the 2 who drowned were initially in this boat). The motorboat got away from the ship with 18 men about 20 minutes after the attack had started, and bout 10 minutes later the ship sank (02 30S 38W). 1 of the men who was in the water and 3 who were on a raft were subsequently picked up by the motorboat. The able seaman remained in the starboard boat, and one of the occupants of the motorboat went over to him with a flash light and a bucket, then later signalled that it had been bailed and was in good shape.

 

Able Seaman Knut Kristoffersen, who had been at the helm was severely injured, and first aid was rendered to him. They all stayed around until 02:30 while attempting to pick up survivors from the water and distribute themselves in the 2 boats. An emergency sail was then rigged on the lifeboat, which proceeded to tow the motorboat for several hours until the motor started.

 

The 24 survivors (and the boats) were picked up by the Swedish M/S Scania on Apr. 12 and taken to Fortaleza that same day, where the injured man was taken to a hospital. 7 had died.

 

The maritime hearings were held in Fortaleza on Apr. 21-1942 with 2nd Mate Wilhelm Schinrud, Chief Engineer Otto Christoffersen, Boatswain Arne Larsen, and Able Seaman Harry Pettersen appearing.

 

The sinking of Balkis and other torpedo attacks off Brazil in the months afterwards contributed to Brazil declaring war on the Axial forces.

 

...pensa te!

[C.te Simone]

R.Smg Archimede

 

L’8 ottobre il sommergibile raggiunse una nuova zona e lo stesso giorno intercettò l’Oronsay’, un transatlantico britannico di 20.043 t.s.l. La nave apparteneva alla “’Orient Steam Navigation Co, Ltd” di Londra ed era stata costruita nel 1925 dai cantieri “John Brown & Co.” di Clydebank. La nave aveva una capienza di 592 passeggeri ed era usata per il trasporto delle truppe. A causa dell’affondamento ci furono 5 vittime, 26 furono fatti prigionieri ed i rimanenti 412 furono portati in salvo. La posizione dell’affondamento è data a 4º 08’ N, 20º 57’ W dall’Ufficio Storico e a 4º 29’ N, 20º 52’ W dalle autorità britanniche

 

 

 

[Marco U-78 Scirè]

 

La motopetroliera Ben Brush, precedentemente conosciuta come la Caroline Mærsk (danese) era stata costruita nel 1928 dai cantieri “Odense Staalskibsærft” di Odense, Danimarca ed era al servizio della USMC (U.S. Marittime Commission). L’affondamento è dato in posizione 04° 32’S, 35° 03W; un membro dell’equipaggio perse la vita mentre i rimanenti 34 furono tratti in salvo.

[Marco U-78 Scirè]

Il 25 marzo ( a detta di alcuni libri il 29) il Calvi intercettò ed affondò il piroscafo Britannico TREDINNICK di 4.589 t.s.l. Questa nave era stata costruita nel 1921 dai cantieri “J Readhead & Son Ltd”, di South Shields ed apparteneva alla compagnia di navigazione “J Readhead & Son Ltd” con uffici a Londra e Cardiff. L’affondamento avvenne in posizione 27°15’N, 49°15’W e nessuno dei 46 membri dell’equipaggio sopravvisse.

 

Droylsden

Roll of Honour 1939 - 1945

 

 

WOOD. NORMAN. Second Radio Officer.

S.S. Tredinnick (St. Ives). Merchant Navy. 25th March 1942. Age 29. Son of James and Ellen Wood; husband of Lavinia Wood of Droylsden, Lancashire.

Tower Hill Memorial - London, Panel 110.

[Marco U-78 Scirè]

continuo con il R.Smg Finzi...

 

 

 

Celtic Star

 

Nel pomeriggio del 29 marzo ( e non del 30 come citano certe fonti), Il Finzi affondò il piroscafo britannico CELTIC STAR di 5.575 t.s.l. Questo vecchio piroscafo costruito nel 1918 dai cantieri “Dunlop, Bremner & Co.” di Glasgow era precedentemente noto come il Celticstar (1929) e Campana (1918). Il piroscafo apparteneva alla “Union Cold Storage Co. Ltd” e l’affondamento fu dato in posizione 04 16° N, 17° 44’ W. Due membri dell’equipaggio perirono, uno di nazionalità canadese fu fatto prigioniero, mentre i rimanenti 63 furono salvati.

 

Built: Dunlop, Bremner & Co. Ltd., Port Glasgow

ON: 142437 Gross : 5574 Net : 3466

Dimensions: 390.7 x 53.2 x 24.7 feet

Propulsion: One triple expansion steam engine driving single screw

Launched : 3/12/1917 (Yard No.289) as Camana for Camana Shipping Co. Ltd., (Blue Star Line Ltd. managers)

Completed: 6/1918

Transferred: 1920 to Union Cold Storage Co. Ltd., (Blue Star Line (1920) Ltd. managers) and renamed Celticstar

Renamed: 1929 as Celtic Star

Managers: restyled as Blue Star Line Ltd 1930

Refitted: 1935 with the larger funnel from the Avelona Star after she was reduced to one funnel.

Damaged: 18/10/1939 when in convoy by collision off the Cape Verde Islands [39]

Torpedoed: 30/3/1943 and sunk by the Italian submarine Finzi, S.W. of Freetown, Sierra Leone, in position 04.16N, 17.44W [26] , whilst on a voyage from Manchester, Greenock and Freetown to Montevideo and Buenos Aires with 4410 tons of general cargo including mail. Two crew members were lost.

 

Sister ships: Gaelic Star & Ionic Star 1

[Marco U-78 Scirè]

 

 

M/T Charles Racine

 

...l’equipaggio avvistò una petroliera che fu prontamente affondata con ben sei siluri. Questi era la motopetroliera norvegese CHARLES RACINE di 9.957 t.s.l. costruita nel 1937 dai cantieri “Odense Staalskibsvaerft” di Odense (Danimarca) e di proprietà della compagnia “Skibs-A/S Snefonn”. Il siluramento ebbe luogo in posizione 23° 10’ N, 60° 28’ W e tutti i 41 uomini dell’equipaggio furono tratti in salvo.

 

 

Owner: Skibs-A/S Snefonn

Manager: Sigvald Bergesen d.y. & Co., Stavanger

Tonnage: 9957 gt, 5953 net, 15 540 tdwt.

Call Sign: LJOI.

Built in Odense, Denmark 1937.

 

Captain: Arthur Svendsen

 

Some Convoy Voyages 1940-1942:

 

Charles Racine can be found in Convoy HX 44 in May/June-1940, together with Polarsol and Europe. She's also listed as being in Convoy HX 86 in Nov. that year, but was sent into St. John's due to an outbreak of diphtheria on board, and eventually joined HX 89 instead.

In Aug.-1941 she was in convoy HX 145 along with the Norwegian Annavore (station 122), Maridal (station 83), Høyanger (station 95, 3 bombers on deck), Leikanger (station 64, lumber), Vav (station 114), Kaia Knudsen (station 73), Slemdal, all listed on this website - ref. alphabet index at the end of this page.

 

In Nov.-1941 she was in Convoy HX 158. The only other Norwegian ship named on my page for HX 158 in the Atlantic Convoys section is Strinda, but there were several other Norwegian vessels in this convoy.

 

She's can also be found in Convoy HX 173 in Febr.-1942 along with several other Norwegian ships. All these convoys are listed in the Ships in Atlantic Convoys section, individual links have been provided above.

 

 

 

Final Fate - 1942:

 

The above mentioned convoy arrived Liverpool on Febr. 14-1942. On the 22nd Charles Racine joined Convoy OS 20, voyaging from Clyde to Baytown in ballast in station 76. See the first external website that I've linked to at the end of this text for more convoy details; several Norwegian ships took part. Charles Racine left the convoy on March 1 on orders from the commodore and continued alone following Admiralty routings. Torpedoed on March 9-1942 at 23:10 ship's time by the Italian submarine Giuseppe Finzi (Giudice). The torpedo hit on the port side, forward of the engine room, water gushed in and the engines stopped. Shortly thereafter another torpedo struck, also on the port side. The radio operator sent out an SOS with their position. After the crew had gotten safely away in 4 lifeboats they observed 2 more torpedoes hitting the ship, this time on the starboard side, and later in the night they heard another 2 explosions followed by flames.

3 of the boats holding 34 men stayed together but the 4th could not be seen in the dark. They remained in the vicinity until daylight. When the captain rowed back to the ship that morning to look for the 4th boat it was nowhere to be seen, so sail was set for Puerto Rico. In the morning of March 12 they were picked up by USS Moffet which searched for the other lifeboat all day, before heading for San Juan, Puerto Rico where the survivors were landed on the 13th. They travelled to New York on March 22, with arrival on the 27th. The following day they received the news that the 7 in the missing lifeboat (incl. the 1st mate) had been picked up by an Argentinian steamer en route to Trinidad and landed there.

 

According to the captain's report presented at the maritime hearings the attack took place in 23 33N 60 10W. Rohwer gives the position as 23 10N 60 28W, and date as March 10 at 01:24 Berlin time.

 

The maritime hearings were held in New York on Apr. 13-1942 with the captain, the 3rd mate (on duty on the bridge), the 2nd engineer, and Able Seaman Eriksen (helmsman) appearing.

[Marco U-78 Scirè]

...il piroscafo svedese SKÅNE di 4.528 t.s.l. che fu affondato la notte tra il 6 e 7 marzo con tre siluri ed alcuni colpi di cannone. Questo vecchio piroscafo misto (merce e passeggeri) era stato costruito nel 1921 dai cantieri “A/B Lindholmens” di Gothenburg (Svezia) ed apparteneva alla compagnia di navigazione “Translatlantic, Rederiaktiebolaget” di Gothenburg. Il Skåne aveva cambiato nome nel 1941 e, all’atto dell’affondamento, era noto come “Boren”. Alcuni autori citano il mancato affondamento di questo piroscafo, ma è confermato che sia stato affondato dal Finzi in posizione 20° 50’N, 62° 05’W e che tutti e 36 uomini dell’equipaggio furono tratti in salvo.

 

 

6 marzo 1942 il Finzi affondò con quattro siluri la petroliera Francese MELPOMENE di 7.011 t.s.l. (e non 7.001 come riportato da alcune fonti). Questa petroliera apparteneva alla “Compagnie Ausiliarie de Navigation” di Parigi ed era stata costruita dai cantieri “ Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde” di Bordeaux nel 1923 ed era in servizio al MoWT (Ministry of War Transport) britannico sin dal 1940. L’affondamento avvenne in posizione 23° 35’N, 62° 39’W a tutti i 49 membri dell’equipaggio furono tratti in salvo.

 

...Il pomeriggio del 28 marzo, il Finzi intercettò ed affondò il piroscafo greco GRANICOS di 3.689 t.s.l. L’affondamento avvenne in posizione 02° N, 15° 30’ W, 30 uomini dell’equipaggio perirono, ma uno, un portoghese, fu fatto prigioniero dal Finzi.

Il Comandante Rossetto ci ha scritto che “il "Granikos", carico di minerali di ferro, affondò in brevissimo tempo, meno di mezzo minuto, e che per tale motivo con tutta probabilità gli uomini dell'equipaggio non ebbero la possibilità di mettere in mare i mezzi di salvataggio, e non riuscirono a salvarsi, ad eccezione di Joaquim Rodriguez che, aggrappato ad un piccolo pezzo di legno, gridava aiuto ma si nascondeva al passaggio della luce del proiettore per la paura di "essere mitragliato". Alla partenza da Rio era stato detto all'equipaggio che "i sommergibili mitragliavano i naufraghi"!

[Marco U-78 Scirè]

continuo con il R.Smg. Torelli

 

5 gennaio 1941, il battello prese di nuovo il mare, questa volta per svolgere una missione lungo la costa occidentale della Scozia. Il 15 gennaio, Il Torelli avvistò un piccolo convoglio nemico composto da circa 6/7 navi, che il comandante Longobardo non esitò ad attaccare.

 

Facevano parte del convoglio il P/fo greco Nemea da 5198 t.s.l; il P/fo norvegese Brask da 4079 t.s.l., e il P/fo greco Nicolas Filinis da 3111 t.s.l. che il giorno seguente furono colpiti e colati a picco. Il Nemea era stato costruito dalla "Connel & Co. di Glasgow" nel 1913 ed apparteneva alla "Ger N e Demetrios Denys Stathartos" di Atene. L'affondamento, che avvenne in posizione 54° N 23° 58 ' W, causò la morte di 17 membri dell'equipaggio, mentre i rimanenti 14 vennero tratti in salvo. Il piroscafo Brask apparteneva alla "Nilssen & Sonner" di Oslo ed era stato costruito dalla "William Doxford & Co. di Sunderland" nel 1911. L'affondamento avvenne in posizione 52° 45 ' N, 23° 59 ' W. Dodici membri dell'equipaggio perirono, mentre i superstiti 20 furono salvati. Il Nicolaos Filinis apparteneva invece alla "Nikes N Filinis" di Atene ed era stato costruito nel 1904 dai cantieri "Richardson, Anatra & Co." di Stockton-su-ti, in Gran Bretagna. L'affondamento di questa unità, che avvenne in posizione 53° N, 24° W, causò la morte di 3 membri dell'equipaggio mentre i restanti 26 vennero tratti in salvo. Nel corso dell'attacco anche un'altra nave fu danneggiata, ma riuscì a sfuggire ai siluri grazie alle avverse condizioni metereologiche.

 

 

Owner: A/S Brask

Manager: Nilssen & Sønner, Oslo

Tonnage: 4079 gt, 2561 net, 7100 tdwt.

Built in Sunderland 1911.

Previous names: Orangemoor until 1920, Orangemead until 1923, Bogen until 1925.

 

 

 

Captain: Gustav Røkenes

 

 

 

Brask was in Convoy SC 11 in Nov.-1940, along with the Norwegian Salonica (sunk), Bruse, Lisbeth, Eikhaug, Torfinn Jarl, Christian Krogh, Marita, Star and Spurt. Gulhaug also originally took part, but had to return to Sydney. (More details on all the Norwegian ships mentioned here can be found with the help of the alphabet index at the end of this page). Brask had a cargo of iron ore.

 

Final Fate - 1941:

 

Torpedoed on a voyage in ballast from Gourock to Durban in Convoy OB 272*, having departed Oban on Jan. 10-1941. The Convoy was dispersed in the evening of Jan. 15, with the ships continuing in individual groups to their various destinations. Brask headed south together with the Greek ship D/S Nemea, but both ships were torpedoed that same evening by the Italian submarine Luigi Torelli (Longobardo), Brask in position 52 45N 23 59W**. She was struck on the port side near No. 2 hatch, resulting in the entire forepart being torn up, and she sank in 3 minutes. The lifeboats were freed but there was no time to put them on the water so everyone jumped overboard, then clung to misc. debris as well as one of the rafts that had floated free. 9 men had come across the capsized starboard boat and climbed up on its keel. It was later righted, then picked up others from the water, until there were 20 men in all in the boat.

*According to Arnold Hague, OB 272 departed Liverpool on Jan. 10-1941 with 28 ships, dispersed on Jan. 14.

 

** Rohwer gives the position as 52 33N 24 13W for Nemea and lists this ship as torpedoed last (at 21:48 Berlin time), whereas "Nortraships flåte" says the Greek vessel was struck at 20:20 and Brask at 20:48 (I assume this would be GMT). The sub was so close that the 2nd mate was able to identify it as Italian.

 

After having gotten in the lifeboat Brask's survivors saw a spot against the horizon. They maneuvered towards it, thinking it might be one of the rafts with more survivors, but as they got closer it turned out to be the abandoned Nemea. They boarded her, but fearing that the ship might be attacked again they soon returned to the boat (this was about midnight on Jan. 15). At dawn on the 16th they again boarded the Greek ship where they found dry clothes and some food, while the radio operator was sent to the radio station and was able to get the radio in order. In the meantime, a lifeboat carrying about 18 Greek survivors also came alongside. Some of them came on board, among them the 1st mate and 2 radio operators who sent out an SOS that was received by Valentia Radio, so the the men from Brask decided to remain on the Greek vessel. They managed to get the engine going then hoisted both lifeboats on board. The Greeks insisted on trying to reach the Azores, while the others wanted to head for Ireland, but they set course for the Azores for about an hour, however, due to the wind being against them it was agreed that afternoon to head towards Ireland.

 

Fearing that the ship might be attacked in the course of the night, the engine was stopped that evening, whereupon they went back to the lifeboats again, tied to the ship with a long line. Early the next morning, Jan. 17 they saw rockets in the horizon and responded with their own rockets and flares. Before dawn they reboarded the Greek ship, then sent up 2 large rockets, seen by 2 British destroyers which came to. The shipwrecked men offered to remain on Nemea and take her to port, escorted by the destroyers, but due to lack of fuel this was not considered a good idea, so at 09:00 on Jan. 17 they were all transferred to HMS Highlander which landed them in Londonderry in the morning of Jan. 20. The following morning they continued to Glasgow with arrival Jan. 22.

[Marco U-78 Scirè]

il Torelli intercettò la petroliera norvegese Ida Knudsen di 8913 t. che stava navigando da sola, affondandola nel corso di un attacco notturno. Questa nave, costruita nel 1925 dai cantieri danesi "Nakskov Skibsvaerft", apparteneva alla "Dampsk-A/S Jeanette Skinner". Il siluramento avvenne in posizione 34° 34 ' N e 13° 14 ' W, e l'affondamento del piroscafo causò la morte di 5 membri dell'equipaggio.

 

Manager: Knut Knutsen O.A.S., Haugesund

Tonnage: 8913 gt, 5275 net, 14 030 tdwt.

Signal Letters: LCOR

 

Delivered in Oct.-1925 from A/S Nakskovs Skibsværft, Nakskov, Denmark as Ida Knudsen to D/S A/S Jeanette Skinner, Haugesund (Knut Knutsen O.A.S.). This was Knutsen's first tanker and Haugesund's largest ship at the time of delivery. 465.7' x 62.1' x 37.3', 2 x 6 cyl. 4T EV B & W, 3400 bhp, 11 knots, 2 propellers.

 

Captain: Kristoffer Sæbø

 

Final Fate - 1941:

 

Ida Knudsen was at Curacao from Apr. 22 till Apr. 25-1941, then headed to Greenock, arriving May 23 (Convoy HX 125). Departed Greenock early in June for Trinidad with arrival June 30. Departed Port of Spain alone on July 5-1941 for Gibraltar with a cargo of over 13 000 tons fuel oil. While in Trinidad they had been instructed to meet the escort on July 21 in 34 30N 15 00W, and assuming that the escort would be there at the fixed time, Ida Knudsen sailed in wide zig-zags so as not to get to the meeting place too early. In Gibraltar at this time only two armed trawlers were available, and since no information on Ida Knudsen's position had been received the trawlers were sent to another ship in need of escort, so that when she reached the meeting place no escort was to be seen. The captain then decided to sail on, following the predetermined course in the hope of meeting the escort on her way, but was hit that same night by several torpedoes from the Italian submarine Luigi Torelli (de Giacomo), off Cape Blanca, about 70 n. miles northeast of Madeira. A report dated Port Lyautey Aug. 4-1941 and signed by the 1st mate gives the position as approx. 34 10N 14 45W, while Rowher gives 34 34N 13 14W.

They had heard the hum of engines on the port side at 19:50 that night. The hope was that what they heard was the escort approaching, but to be on the safe side course was altered so that the sound was behind them, and the crew alerted (a 4" gun had been mounted aft while in Glasgow the month before). The first torpedo, which was spotted on the port quarter at around 20:10, hit near the pump room, sending oil high above the after part of the ship. 2 more torpedoes were seen, 1 passing in front of the ship, the other came from ahead and went parallel with the ship. An SOS was sent out by the 2nd mate, the captain ordered everyone to the lifeboats, while also ordering full stop, but the engine continued to run, resulting in problems while launching the starboard amidships boat and 4 men ended up in the water. The other 3 boats were successfully launched, and no sooner were they on the water and clear of the ship's side than another torpedo hit abaft the forecastle (starboard side) and shortly afterwards another one amidships. They tried to search for the 4 in the water but this was hampered by the sub constantly circling around, sometimes submerged, other times above the water; in fact, the captain was so close that he was able to correctly identify the sub as one of the Italian Tazzoli class. A last torpedo was sent into the engine room of Ida Knudsen at 21:00 which finally sank her and the sub disappeared (some felt there must have been 2 subs).

 

Two of the lifeboats with the captain and 14 of his men managed to stay together until they were rescued by the Portugese trawler Altair on July 25 (position 33 24N 09 48W is given in report) and landed in Las Palmas on July 27. They subsequently travelled to Freetown, later to England, except Rudolf Otten who went to Cape Town, Cornelius Timmermann and John Amzan who went to Curacao, and Arne Hauge and Anders Stendal who were signed on Lidvard which had just escaped from Dakar.

 

The 1st Mate's boat with 17 men landed at Agadir, Morocco on July 28. From there they were sent to Port Lyautey where they were interned on board M/S Nyhorn. 1 of them, Egil Strømmen escaped with others from Nyhorn, in fact, he was 1 of the 5 who escaped with Captain Messel of my father's ship D/S Ringulv, reaching Gibraltar in the canvas boat Norge, which had secretly been built in the hold of Nyhorn in Apr./May-1942. The rest were interned, along with the crew from D/S Vigør, in Sidi el Ayadir, where 2 later died (see * below). 2 were given a travel permit to Sweden and Sierra Leone respectively, 2 were freed and signed on Nyhorn (mostly French crew by then?) and the rest stayed interned until the allied invasion of North Africa in Nov.-1942.

 

The 4 who had ended up in the water from the starboard amidhsips boat drowned, but another 2 from that boat, Able Seaman Claassens and Ordinary Seaman Meland, had managed to hold on, bail it, and landed in Tenerife on Aug. 9-1941 (possibly picked up and landed by a British vessel?). They later travelled to Liverpool. Torkel Bjørnevik, who had also been in this boat, had managed to climb back on board Ida Knudsen with the help of the ladder and later joined some others in the motorboat (the captain's boat).

 

Of the 5 casualties named in the crew list below, the only one who had not been in the starboard amidships lifeboat was 4th Engineer Ellingsen. Nobody seemed to know how he had lost his life, but his passport and some other belongings were found in the starboard aft lifeboat so it was believed he might have gone overboard from that boat when it was launched. Also, 1 of the crew members had seen him in the vicinty of the boat.

[Marco U-78 Scirè]

Il 28 gennaio, Il battello incrociò ed affondò il p/fo britannico Urla di 5198 t., appartenente alla "Bowring Steamship Co." di Liverpool (unità costruita nel 1924 dai cantieri "Ardrossan Dockyards") che affondò in posizione 54° N, 19° 20 ' W. Tutti i 42 membri dell'equipaggio della nave furono tratti in salvo

 

Halifax Section - Sailed Jan. 5-1941

[Marco U-78 Scirè]

 

Durante l'attraversamento dell'Atlantico, il 20 febbraio, il battello localizzò ed affondò, con il siluro e con il pezzo di bordo, il P/fo britannico Scottish Star di 7224 t.s.l.. Questa nave, costruita nel 1917 con il nome "Millais" dalla "Harland di Greenock", apparteneva alla "Blue Start Line Ltd" di Londra e nel1938 aveva cambiato nome. L'affondamento avvenne in posizione 13° 24 ' N e 49° 36 ' W, e quattro membri dell'equipaggio perirono, mentre i rimanenti 69 vennero salvati