Onto
Finnish Steam merchant
Onto under her former name Papendrecht
| Name | Onto | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 1,333 tons | ||
| Completed | 1918 - H. te Veldhuis, Papendrecht | ||
| Owner | O/Y Finska Insjö A/B (Ernst Sohn), Helsinki | ||
| Homeport | Helsinki | ||
| Date of attack | 23 Jan 1940 | Nationality:  Finnish | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-56 (Wilhelm Zahn) | ||
| Position | 52° 51'N, 2° 11'E - Grid AN 8177 | ||
| Complement | 20 (0 dead and 20 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Zeebrugge - Tyne | ||
| Cargo | Ballast | ||
| History | Completed in May 1918 as Dutch Papendrecht for Burgerhout & Zoon, Rotterdam, but after trials bought by NV Phs. van Ommeren´s Scheepvaartbedrijf, Rotterdam. 1924 sold to the UK and renamed Ailsa for Christian Salvesen & Co, Leith. 1936 sold to Denmark and renamed Reval for D/S Draco A/S (R. Fischer-Nielsen), Copenhagen. 1937 sold to Finland and renamed Onto for O/Y Finska Insjö A/B (Ernst Sohn), Helsinki. | ||
| Notes on event | At 22.13 hours on 23 January 1940 the Onto (Master Ivar Ström) struck a mine laid on 8 January by U-56 and sank by the bow 2.7 miles 251° from Smith´s Knoll Light Vessel off Cross Sands. The crew quickly abandoned ship in two lifeboats: 14 occupants in one of them were rescued by a Greek steam merchant, while the master and five others were picked up from the other boat by HMS Auckland (L 61) (Cdr J.G. Hewitt, RN), which was escorting the nearby convoy FN-79. | ||
| On board | We have details of 2 people who were on board. | ||
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