Roger W. Jordan ("The World's Merchant Fleets") has supplied me with most of the following:

On March 30-1947, when on a voyage from Antwerp to Oslo in ballast Titanian struck a mine in 53 35N 04 35E (40 miles west of Texel Island) and was badly damaged. She was listing heavily and was towed into port, arriving Nieuwe Waterweg on Apr.-1, then Rotterdam on Apr. 3. Found to be beyond economical repair (declared a constructive total loss on Nov. 6-1947), and sold to breakers at Stavanger where demolition began in June-1948. For insurance purposes the loss was settled as a war loss.

As mentioned in my message my father was on board when this happened, and he talks about it in one of his letters (see Odd's letter No. 4 [www.warsailors.com] ) in which he says "For the sailors the war was not over on the 8th of May, 1945. On the M/S Titanian, which I signed on in the fall of 1946 I got proof of just that. We went straight into a magnetic mine field. The ship broke almost in two, but after 3 days we managed to get ashore, after having been picked up by a Dutch trawler. This happened on Palm Sunday, 1947".

It has occurred to me that perhaps the crew stayed on board, and that it was the Dutch trawler that took her in tow; this fits in with the date Apr. 3 for arrival Rotterdam and my father's statement that they got ashore after 3 days. (Captain Bernt Breivik later wrote a recommendation for my father, this is dated Rotterdam, May 3-1947).

I'm still looking for more details on this incident - if anyone can give me the name of trawler, where was the crew taken etc., please let me know.

Siri