Berganger
Norwegian Motor merchant
Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart
| Name | Berganger | ||
| Type: | Motor merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 6,826 tons | ||
| Completed | 1932 - Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Mij NV, Amsterdam | ||
| Owner | A/S Westfal-Larsen & Co, Bergen | ||
| Homeport | Bergen | ||
| Date of attack | 2 Jun 1942 | Nationality:  Norwegian | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-578 (Ernst-August Rehwinkel) | ||
| Position | 39° 25'N, 69° 50'W - Grid CA 6287 | ||
| Complement | 47 (4 dead and 43 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Buenos Aires - Santos (16 May) - Boston - New York | ||
| Cargo | General cargo, including 48.000 bags of coffee, 1000 bales of linters, 1138 liters sunflower seed oil and hides | ||
| History | Completed in August 1932 | ||
| Notes on event | Between 03.32 and 07.05 hours on 2 June 1942 the unescorted Berganger (Master Alm Normann Nymann) was missed by five single torpedoes from U-213 (Varendorff), but the U-boat then gave up further attacks due to the high speed of the vessel. At 20.27 hours on the same day, she was hit on the port side amidships by one torpedo from U-578 southeast of Cape Cod. The U-boat was then forced to dive by the gunners and fired a coup de grâce, which hit on the port side in #2 hold, causing her to capsize and sink. The Germans surfaced, questioned the survivors and took pictures of them. The survivors abandoned ship in three lifeboats and were all rescued on 4 June: 17 were picked up by the Norwegian motor merchant Bañaderos and landed in New York the next day, 13 were picked up by USS Madison (DD 425) and landed in Norfolk on 6 June and the master and 12 survivors were picked by the American fishing vessel Mary J. Landry 14 miles off Block Island and landed at New Bedford on 5 June. | ||
| More info | |||
| On board | We have details of 47 people who were on board. | ||
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