Posted by Erik E eettrup@c2i.net on July 10, 2001.

Has anyone got info on a Swedish ship called "Silesia".
Sunk by u-36 25/9-1939 outside Stavanger, Norway?

A picture of this ship would be really GREAT!

Erik

RESPONSE:

Posted by Roger W Jordan rogwj@aol.com on July 13.

Erik
The steamer SILESIA was completed in April 1923 by J Crown & Sons Ltd, Sunderland, for Witherington & Everett, Newcastle upon Tyne, under the name SPRIGHTLY. In 1934 she was sold and renamed NELL, and in 1936 was sold to Rederi-A/B Sylvia (manager Billners Kolimport A/B, Gothenburg) and renamed SILESIA. She was involved in carrying coal from UK east coast ports to Sweden, and example voyages in 1938 and 1939 were ... left Hartlepool 21 June 1938 for Gothenburg (arrived 23 June), and left Blyth 15 March 1939 for Gothenburg (arrived 18 March).
On 25 September 1939 at 0900 GMT, she was torpedoed by the German submarine U36 and sank 45 miles WNW of Ekkeroy (other reports say 45 miles W by N of Egersund, or "of Stavanger"). A lifeboat from he vessel was found on about 23 December, suggesting that there were no survivors.
SILESIA was 1839 gross tons, 1026 net tons, 2850 deadweight tons, length 267.9 feet, breadth 37.8 feet, depth 17.6 feet, draught 18.1 ft, and was fitted with a triple expansion steam engine of 200 nominal horsepower, and had a speed of 10 knots.
As for U36, this was commanded by Wilhelm Frolich, and after the sinking of Silesia the submarine returned to its base at Kiel on 30 September. On its next patrol it was sunk by a torpedo from the British submarine HMS Salmon and sank SW of Farsund, Norway, on 4 December 1939. There were no survivors from U36.
As for a photograph of SILESIA, you may be able to obtain one from Donald McFie, who lives in Alingsas, Sweden. Refer to his website at [hem1.passagen.se]

Hope this is useful.
Regards
Roger W Jordan
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Posted by Erik E on July 15

Thanks a lot!!!