Posted by Axel van Eesbeeck gemyala@netcologne.de on September 13, 2001.

Hallo

I need some information on the US ship called Ballot which was sunk by aircraft in convoy PQ-13 on 28.03.1942. 9 men of the crew and 9 british gunners died.

My problem is, that i can't find this ship in any book and that in the real good book from Brian B. Schoffield "only" 5 merchant ships sunk in PQ-13:

Empire Ranger, Raceland, Effingham, Iduna and as far i know a ship called Mana (U-456).

Who can tell me what ships exactly sunk in PQ-13 and if Ballot was one of them who knows some technical details.

Thanks in advance
Axel van Eesbeeck

RESPONSES:

Posted by Th. Dorgeist Marine - Doku - Zen. Th. Dorgeist@Web.de on September 14.

Hallo Axel !

Ich habe bei meinen Verlusten nur die unter Panamaflagge [ United States Maritime Commission ] fahrende BALLOT 6131 BRT 1922 gebaut .gefunden.
Bis 1942 italienisch ALBERTA

Dieses Schiff sank aber erst am 2. Januar 1943 nach Strandung bei Kola Inlet !
Lt. Lloyd’s sanken am
28.03.42 EMPIRE RANGER 7008 BRT
RACELAND 4815 BRT
29.03.42 BATEAU 4687 BRT
30.03.42 EFFINGHAM 6421 BRT
INDUNA 5086 BRT

= 5 Schiffe !

Ein Schiff mit den Namen MANA habe ich in keiner Quelle feststellen können

Viele Grüße
--------------------------
Posted by Axel van Eesbeeck on September 14.

Hallo

Mana läßt sich in Jürgen Rohwers "Axis submarine successes" nachlesen. Aber auch er benutzt ein "?" (Missinterpretation des xB Dienstes ?) Es war vielleicht der Trawler britische Sulla

Viele Grüße
Axel
-------------------------
Posted by Siri siri@lawson.net on September 14.

I thought Sulla was Norwegian, have I thought wrong all this time?

Siri
------------------------
Posted by Axel van Eesbeeck on September 14.

Hallo Siri
You're right and i'm too blind to read properly.
Sorry

Axel
--------------------------
Posted by Terry Whalebone twhalebone@cwctv.net on September 14.

Hello Axel

I can find no trace of a BALLOT in PQ13.

There is however a vessel called BATEAU listed, this ship was sunk on 29/3.
For reference see:-
www.british-forces.com/rtw/conflicts/ww2/arcticconvoys.html

I hope this is some help

Regards
Terry
----------------------------
Posted by Axel van Eesbeeck on September 14.

Hello Terry

Thank you for the answer

I know the Bateau. But this ship was a straggler and sunk by the german destroyer Z-26.

My source is a US Site, which has normally correct informations.

[www.usmm.org]

This site list both ship, the Bateau and the Ballot.

I'm really a little bit confused.

Bets regards
Axel van Eesbeeck
------------------------------
Posted by Terry Whalebone on September 14.

Hello again Axel,

I have been back to the books
BALLOT was built as Italian ship ALBERTA in Trieste
in 1922 for Cosulish Soc Triestina di Nav.
6131 grt. Requisitioned in New York 11 Dec 1941
renamed BALLOT by US War Shipping Admin
Wrecked 2 Jan 1943 on Kildin Island, White Sea

Hope this helps,

Best wishes
---------------------------
Posted by Roger W Jordan on September 14.

The Panamanian flagged vessel BALLOT was formerly the Italian ALBERTA. She was a marine causes casualty in 1943. See "The World's Merchant Fleets 1939" for details of the vessel and its loss.
Roger W Jordan
---------------------------
Posted by Axel van Eesbeeck on September 14.
Hello

Thank you all for the answers. Now i'm seeing clear.

Best regards
Axel van Eesbeeck
---------------------------
Posted by Th. Dorgeist on September 15.

Hallo Axel !

Der hondurische Tankdampfer MANA 3283/20 ist lt. Lloyd’s und meinen ganzen Unterlagen im März 1942 nicht einmal beschädigt worden, geschweige das er versenkt wurde. Der Tanker war bei Kriegsende noch in Fahrt.
Ob MANA im PQ. 13 Geleitzug war weiß ich allerdings nicht.
Ich habe letzte Woche noch im Bundesarchiv - Militärarchiv Freiburg die Karteikarten des B – Dienstes der ehemaligen Seekriegsleitung eingesehen, viele, viele Erfolgsmeldungen, sprich Versenkungen, wurden später wieder per revidierten Eintrag gestrichen und mit neuen Ortsangaben zum Leben erweckt.

Gruß

Theo
--------------------------
Posted by Axel van Eesbeeck on September 15.

Hallo Theo

Recht schönen Dank für deine Mühe. Ich werde dieses Schiff ais meiner Liste der Verluste streichen.

Viele Grüße
Axel
-------------------------
Posted by Rainer Kolbicz rainer@uboat.net on September 25.

Hi Axel

The Panamian flagged BALLOT was in convoy PQ-13

On 26.03.42 a gale with Force 8 came up and the PQ-13 was scattered all over the ocean.
On 28.03., six ships found each other and formed a new convoy. These ships were: BALLOT, INDUNA, DUNBOYNE, MANA, EMPIRE STARLIGHT and EFFINGHAM
The Armed Trawler SILJA was the only escort.

At noon, they were attacked by a Me 110, which dropped bombs on the BALLOT. No direct hits were scored, but the concussion damaged the engine and shrapnels wounded two crew members.

It is not clear what happenend next:
Some sources says the master then ordered 16 crew members to abandon ship, but others says they demanded to leave the ship.

They were later picked up by INDUNA and SILJA.
But two days later the INDUNA was torpedoed and sank. Some of the survivors had to endure 5 days on a lifeboat in the arctic sea. Of the 16 crew members which left the Ballot, 9 crew members and two British gunners died.

The damaged BALLOT with her reduced crew reached Kola Inlet safely, was repaired and returned to Iceland with QP-11.

Regards
Rainer