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D/S Brask To Brask on the "Ships starting with B" page.
Owner: A/S Brask Built in Sunderland 1911. Captain: Gustav Røkenes
Towards the end of March-1940, Brask, with a cargo of ore for Workington, is mentioned in the Advance Sailing Telegram for Convoy HN 22 from Norway to the U.K., however, it looks like this AST covers ships in Convoy HN 23A as well, and this is the convoy she appears to have sailed in (left Norway on March 30). In May-1940 she's listed in the U.K.-Gibraltar Convoy OG 29, cargo of coal for Alexandria. This convoy will be added to my Convoys section; in the meantime, see this list of ships in all OG convoys. She returned to the U.K. the following month with Convoy HG 35, bound for Middlesbrough in station 62 of the convoy, which left Gibraltar on June 21. The only other Norwegian ship was Atle Jarl. In Sept.-1940 she shows up in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 4, which had a large number of Norwegian ships. Brask was bound for Cardiff with a cargo of iron ore, and appears to have been cancelled from the faster Convoy HX 72, in which Simla and several others were sunk. A couple of months later, in Nov.-1940, Brask, again with a cargo of iron ore, was in Convoy SC 11, in which Bruse and Salonica were sunk, among others. The following month she's said to have joined Convoy OB 264, bound for St. John's, N.F. in ballast. This convoy left Liverpool on Christmas Eve, dispersed on the 29th. Names of the other ships in this convoy, some of which were Norwegian, are available at the external link below. However, I don't think she could have made a voyage to St. John's on this occasion, because when she was sunk shortly thereafter, she's listed in Convoy OB 272, and she wouldn't have had time to go all the way to St. John's then return to the U.K. in time to join the latter on Jan. 10-1941. Related external link:
Torpedoed on a voyage in ballast from Gourock to Durban in Convoy OB 272*, having departed Oban on Jan. 10-1941. The Convoy was dispersed in the evening of Jan. 15, with the ships continuing in individual groups to their various destinations. Brask headed south together with the Greek ship D/S Nemea, but both ships were torpedoed that same evening by the Italian submarine Luigi Torelli (Longobardo), Brask in position 52 45N 23 59W**. She was struck on the port side near No. 2 hatch, resulting in the entire forepart being torn up, and she sank in 3 minutes. The lifeboats were freed but there was no time to put them on the water so everyone jumped overboard, then clung to misc. debris as well as one of the rafts that had floated free. 9 men had come across the capsized starboard boat and climbed up on its keel. It was later righted, then picked up others from the water, until there were 20 men in all in the boat.
After having gotten in the lifeboat Brask's survivors saw a spot against the horizon. They maneuvered towards it, thinking it might be one of the rafts with more survivors, but as they got closer it turned out to be the abandoned Nemea. They boarded her, but fearing that the ship might be attacked again they soon returned to the boat (this was about midnight on Jan. 15). At dawn on the 16th they again boarded the Greek ship where they found dry clothes and some food, while the radio operator was sent to the radio station and was able to get the radio in order. In the meantime, a lifeboat carrying about 18 Greek survivors also came alongside. Some of them came on board, among them the 1st mate and 2 radio operators who sent out an SOS that was received by Valentia Radio, so the men from Brask decided to remain on the Greek vessel. They managed to get the engine going then hoisted both lifeboats on board. The Greeks insisted on trying to reach the Azores, while the others wanted to head for Ireland, but they set course for the Azores for about an hour. However, due to the wind being against them it was agreed that afternoon to head towards Ireland. Fearing that the ship might be attacked in the course of the night, the engine was stopped that evening, whereupon they went back to the lifeboats again, tied to the ship with a long line. Early the next morning, Jan. 17 they saw rockets in the horizon and responded with their own rockets and flares. Before dawn they reboarded the Greek ship, then sent up 2 large rockets, seen by 2 British destroyers which came to. The shipwrecked men offered to remain on Nemea and take her to port, escorted by the destroyers, but due to lack of fuel this was not considered a good idea, so at 09:00 on Jan. 17 they were all transferred to HMS Highlander which landed them in Londonderry in the morning of Jan. 20. The following morning they continued to Glasgow with arrival Jan. 22. The maritime enquiry was held in Glasgow on Febr. 11-1941 with the 1st mate, the 2nd mate, and Able Seaman K. Berge (helmsman) appearing.
Related external links: Luigi Torelli Back to Brask on the "Ships starting with B" page. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume I (Norwegian Maritime Museum), and misc. others for cross checking info. - ref My sources.
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