Ships hit by U-boats


Arendskerk

Dutch Motor merchant



Photo courtesy of Rick Cox Collection

NameArendskerk
Type:Motor merchant
Tonnage7,906 tons
Completed1938 - F. Schichau GmbH, Elbing, Danzig 
OwnerNV Vereenigde Nederlandsche Scheepvaart Mij, The Hague 
HomeportThe Hague 
Date of attack15 Jan 1940Nationality:      Dutch
 
FateSunk by U-44 (Ludwig Mathes)
Position46° 55'N, 6° 34'W - Grid BF 5414
Complement65 (0 dead and 65 survivors).
Convoy
RouteRotterdam - Antwerp (13 Jan) - Capetown - Durban 
Cargo4000 tons of general cargo, including barb wire, galvanised sheets, nails, iron, brass tubes and mail 
History Completed in September 1938 
Notes on event

At 07.05 hours on 15 January 1940 the neutral Arendskerk (Master Cornelis Johannes Hendrik Wijker) was spotted by U-44 about 100 miles southwest of Quessant and tried to escape when the U-boat was sighted. The Germans fired seven shots across her bow to stop the vessel. When the papers were checked it became clear that she carried contraband and the crew was ordered to abandon ship. At 10.10 hours, the U-boat fired one torpedo that struck in the engine room and broke the ship in two. The after part sank, but the forepart remained afloat and had to be sunk 30 minutes later by 18 rounds from the deck gun. The survivors were picked up by the Italian steam merchant Fedora, transferred to the Dutch motor merchant Poelau Bras and landed at Lisbon.

 
On boardWe have details of 1 people who were on board


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