Ships hit by U-boats


Strabo

Dutch Motor merchant



Photo courtesy of arendnet.com

NameStrabo
Type:Motor merchant
Tonnage383 tons
Completed1937 - C. van der Giessen & Zonen´s Scheepswerven NV, Krimpen 
OwnerNV West-Indische Scheepvaart Mij, Curaçao 
HomeportWillemstad 
Date of attack10 Aug 1942Nationality:      Dutch
 
FateSunk by U-155 (Adolf Cornelius Piening)
Position7° 29'N, 54° 05'W - Grid EO 6241
Complement13 (0 dead and 13 survivors).
Convoy
RouteSao Luiz de Maranhao, Brazil - Barranquilla, Colombia 
Cargo504 tons of babassu nuts 
History Completed in July 1937 
Notes on event

At 18.50 hours on 10 Aug 1942 the unescorted and unarmed Strabo (Master Wilhelm Heimensen) was stopped with a warning shot from the deck gun by U-155 while steaming at 9 knots about 110 miles north-northeast of Paramaribo. The crew immediately abandoned ship in two lifeboats whereupon the U-boat closed from the starboard beam to a range of 500 yards and fired about 20 rounds at the ship until she caught fire. Piening questioned the survivors, first in English and then in German, but wrongly thought the name of the ship was Curaçao. He apologized for sinking their ship and asked if he could supply them with anything, gave the course to Georgetown and wished them good luck before the U-boat left the area. The Germans did no longer see the fire after two hours and assumed that the Strabo sank, but both lifeboats returned to the ship five hours later after the fire had consumed the whole bridge and upper works . However, the survivors could see the fire still burning through the shell holes and gave up the idea of returning aboard. The boats then set off on a southerly course and independently made landfall somewhere off the coast of French Guiana after losing contact during the first night. They proceeded coastwise until picked up by a pilot boat and the US Army tug USAT General Thomas S. Jessup off Braams Point at the entrance of the Suriname River on 13 August. All survivors were landed at Paramaribo during the afternoon on 14 August.

 
On boardWe have details of 13 people who were on board


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