Tosca
Norwegian Motor merchant
Name | Tosca | ||
Type: | Motor merchant | ||
Tonnage | 5,128 tons | ||
Completed | 1920 - Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Mij NV, Amsterdam | ||
Owner | Knut Knutsen O.A.S., Haugesund | ||
Homeport | Haugesund | ||
Date of attack | 10 Apr 1940 | Nationality: Norwegian | |
Fate | Sunk by U-37 (Werner Hartmann) | ||
Position | 62° 52'N, 7° 34'W - Grid AE 9272 | ||
Complement | 34 (2 dead and 32 survivors). | ||
Convoy | |||
Route | Talcahuano, Chile - Cristobal (13 Mar) - Cartagena, Columbia (15 Mar) - Eitrheim, Norway | ||
Cargo | General cargo, including 2000 tons of zinc concentrate, 2000 tons of cotton seed, 1000 tons of lead, wheat and beans | ||
History | Completed in November 1920 for Den Norske Russlandslinje A/S, Kristiania. In April 1929 sold to Knut Knutsen O.A.S., Haugesund. | ||
Notes on event | At 03.23 hours on 10 April 1940 the unescorted Tosca (Master Aksel Meier Lidahl) was hit on the port side near the aft mast by one torpedo from U-37 about 45 miles northwest of the Faroe Islands. At noon on 9 April, the ship had already been northeast of the Faroes but upon hearing of the German invasion of Norway she turned around to reach Kirkwall or another Scottish port. During the night they came across the burning Sveaborg, which had been torpedoed by the same U-boat at 01.36 hours and decided to assist the crew, but was herself torpedoed and sank by the stern within a few minutes. The crew managed to launch the starboard lifeboat safely, but the port boat capsized and spilled the occupants into the water, while others rescued themselves onto a raft. The men in the lifeboat rescued the survivors swimming in the water and located the swamped motorboat, which was bailed and then took the lifeboat in tow towards the Faroe Islands. Later that morning, the survivors from both ships were picked up by the British armed boarding vessel HMS Northern Chief (4.34) (Lt H. Kirkwood, RN) and landed in Kirkwall on 11 April. | ||
More info | |||
On board | We have details of 33 people who were on board. |
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