Wilja
Finnish Steam merchant
| Name | Wilja | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 3,396 tons | ||
| Completed | 1914 - Robert Thompson & Sons Ltd, Bridge Dockyard, Sunderland | ||
| Owner | O/Y Wipu (Antti Wihuri), Helsinki | ||
| Homeport | Helsinki | ||
| Date of attack | 17 Feb 1940 | Nationality:  Finnish | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-48 (Herbert Schultze) | ||
| Position | 49° 24'N, 7° 11'W - Grid BF 1678 | ||
| Complement | 27 (0 dead and 27 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Savannah - Norfolk - Antwerp - Rotterdam | ||
| Cargo | General cargo, including tobacco, gum rosin, wheat and turpentine | ||
| History | Completed in June 1914 as Norwegian Kongsfos for A/S Manchester (Thor Thoresen, Jr.), Kristiania. 1921 renamed Randsfjord for Den Norske Amerikalinje A/S, Oslo. In July 1934 sold to Finland and renamed Gertrud for Rederi A/B Getrud (Kristian Hansen A/B O/Y), Helsinki. In September 1939 renamed Wilja for O/Y Wipu (Antti Wihuri), Helsinki. | ||
| Notes on event | At 20.36 hours on 17 February 1940 the unescorted and neutral Wilja (Master Martin J. Björkroth) was hit aft by a G7a torpedo from U-48, caught fire and sank after five minutes about 40 miles south-west of Bishop Rock. The U-boat had spotted an illuminated Dutch ship and a darkened vessel about 30 minutes earlier and attacked the latter. The other ship was Maasdam, which picked up the survivors and landed them in Havana, Cuba. | ||
| On board | We have details of 27 people who were on board. | ||
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