Astrell
Norwegian Motor tanker
Photo courtesy of Risør Sjømannsforening
| Name | Astrell | ||
| Type: | Motor tanker | ||
| Tonnage | 7,595 tons | ||
| Completed | 1925 - Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Dundee | ||
| Owner | Prebensen & Blakstad, Risør | ||
| Homeport | Risør | ||
| Date of attack | 5 Nov 1942 | Nationality:  Norwegian | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-129 (Hans-Ludwig Witt) | ||
| Position | 12° 21'N, 69° 21'W - Grid EC 9296 | ||
| Complement | 43 (1 dead and 42 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | TAG-18 | ||
| Route | Trinidad - Curaçao (4 Nov) - New York - UK | ||
| Cargo | 10.500 tons of fuel oil | ||
| History | Completed in August 1925 as Athelchief for United Molasses Co Ltd, Liverpool. 1938 sold to Norway and renamed Astrell for Prebensen & Blakstad, Risør. | ||
| Notes on event | At 08.11 hours on 5 Nov 1942, U-129 fired two stern torpedoes at two tankers in convoy TAG-18 and claimed both as sunk, but the torpedoes both struck the Astrell (Master Nils C. Taraldsen) on the starboard side. The tanker immediately caught fire and broke in two, the crew abandoned ship in three lifeboats and one raft. One British gunner died in the attack. After three hours, 20 survivors were picked up by the Dutch MTB HNMS TM-23 and 22 others by the US Coast Guard vessel USCGC CG-475. They were taken to Aruba and Curaçao the same day. After about 11 hours the burnt out wreck was shelled and scuttled by HNMS Van Kinsbergen (Capt C. Hellingman) about 15 miles off North Point, Curaçao. | ||
| More info | |||
| On board | We have details of 42 people who were on board. | ||
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