Posted by Ole Kr. Valle okvalle@post.olivant.fo on April 16, 2001.

Can anyone help me with information about the norwegian ship "Vestvard" sunk Sept. 27. -1940 by U-31, Wilfried Prellberg. Or information abot other ships sunk by this captain.



RESPONSES:



Posted by Roger W Jordan rogwj@aol.com on April 17, 2001.

VESTVARD was built in 1925 by AG Neptun, at Rostock, Germany, and was owned by Klosters Rederi-A/S (manager Lauritz Kloster, of Tollbodgaten 25B, Oslo).

The vessel was 4319 gross tons, 2441 net tons, 7608 deadweight tons, 402 feet overall length, 53 feet breadth, and 23.5 feet depth. It was fitted with an MAN 6-cylinder diesel engine of 1950 bhp and had a service speed of 10.5 knots.

Signal letters were LDDL.

At 1113 hours, central European time, on 27 September 1940, VESTVARD was torpedoed by U31 and sunk about 300 miles west of Ireland. One crew member was lost, but 28 crew survived. She was on voyage from Manchester to Montreal in ballast.

KL Prellberg was in command of this U-boat from July 1940 to 2 November 1940. His previous command was U19, from April to July 1940.

On 2 November 1940, while in the vicinity of convoy OB237, U31 was located by the destroyer HMS ANTELOPE and was sunk in a depth charge attack. Of the U31 crew, 2 were drowned, but Prellberg and 43 others survived and were made prisoners of war. Two of the crew died later in a failed attempt to escape.

Roger W Jordan

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Posted by Axel van Eesbeeck gemyala@netcologne.de on April 17, 2001.

ships sunk by U-31

name: Agu

date: 05.12.39

type of ship: freighter

nationality: Estland

BRT: 1575



name: Aviemore

date: 16.09.39

type of ship: freighter

nationality: Great Britain

BRT: 4060

Konvoi: OB4



23 people died



name: Gimle

date: 04.12.39

type of ship: freighter

nationality: norway

BRT: 1271



name: Hazelside

date: 24.09.39

type of ship: freighter

nationality: Great Britain

BRT: 4646



name: Mercator

date: 01.12.39

type of ship: freighter

nationality: finnish

BRT: 4260



name: Ove Toft

date: 03.12.39

type of ship: freighter

nationality: Danmark

BRT: 2135



name: Primula

date: 04.12.39

type of ship: freighter

nationality: norway

BRT: 1024



name: Union Jack

date: 22.09.40

type of ship: Trawler

nationality: Färöer

BRT: 81



name: Vestvard

date: 27.09.40

type of ship: freighter

nationality: norway

BRT: 4319

Konvoi: Einzelfahrer



name: Vinga

date: 06.12.39

type of ship: freighter

nationality: sweden

BRT: 1974



name: Glen Albyn

date: 23.12.39

type of ship: Auxiliary Patrol Vessel

nationality: Great Britain

BRT: 82



The auxiliary patrol vessels Glen Albyn and Promotive were sunk by mines

in Loch Ewe.



name: Promotive

date: 23.12.39

type of ship: Auxiliary Patrol Vessel

nationality: Great Britain

BRT: 78



The auxiliary patrol vessels Glen Albyn and Promotive were sunk by mines

in Loch Ewe.

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Posted by Ole Kristian Valle on April 18:

Thank you all for your help so far.

I have another question fr you: Do anyone know of a crew list and or the statutory declaration? Please let me know

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Posted by Josef Pijacek josef_pijacek@rametchm.cz on April 18:

I have 2 more ships:

4.12.39 HMS Nelson, British battleship, damaged by mine laid by U-31

29.10.40 Matina, British merchant, 5389 gt, sunk

As an addition to the Mr. van Eesbeeck's list, all together then fits with the record for U-31 on the U-boat Net site (http://uboat.net/boats/u31.htm), which says:

13 ships sunk for a total of 30.894 tons and 1 ship damaged for a total of 33.950 tons

I would like to know if any ships sunk by U-31 in 1939, except those already mentioned, were sunk by mines she laid. Thanks in advance for any help.



Best regards, Josef Pijacek

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Posted by Marek Twardowski marektwardowski@hotmail.com on April 19:

Here is additional information on ships sunk by U31:



16.09.39 AVIEMORE OB4

24.09.39 HAZELSIDE artillery + 1 torpedo

01.12.39 MERCATOR 2 torpedoes

03.12.39 OVE TOFT 1 torpedo

04.12.39 PRIMULA ?

04.12.39 GIMLE ?

4.12.39 NELSON damaged by mine laid by U-31

05.12.39 AGU ?

06.12.39 VINGA ?

23.12.39 GLEN ALBYN on mine

23.12.39 PROMOTIVE on mine

22.09.40 UNION JACK artillery

27.09.40 VESTVARD ?

29.10.40 MATINA U31 finished off a drifting wreck of a ship; she was hit by 2 torpedoes and shelled by U28 on 26.10.40.



I do not have info how the PRIMULA, GIMLE, AGU and VINGA were sunk, but I am pretty sure they did not sink on mines. .



Best regards,

Marek Twardowski

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Posted by Josef Pijacek on April 19

Hi, Marek!

Thank you very much for your information.

Best regards, Josef Pijacek

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Posted by Poul Olvhoj poulolvhoj@madasafish.com on May 27

Can anyone help me with information about the British vessels "Aviemore" and "Hazelside", both sunk by U-31 in 1940 or thereabouts. I would also like to contact any survivors from those ships or members of the crews' families.