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D/S Breiviken To Breiviken on the "Ships starting with B" page. Manager: Haakon J. Wallem, Bergen Built in Walker-on-Tyne 1911. Captain: Alf Vasdal
Torpedoed and sunk by U-178 (Dommes) off Portugese East Africa on July 4-1943, 21 50S 37 50E, while on a voyage from Lourenço Marques and Durban to Mombasa with a cargo of 3812 tons coal, having departed Durban alone* on July 1. The torpedo hit on the starboard side between No. 1 and 2 holds, causing her to list to starboard and sink in a couple of minutes, so there was no time to launch the lifeboats. An attempt had been made to lower the port boat and some men were in it, but due to the heavy list it capsized before it reached the water. Able seaman Kose tried to cut the ropes, but went down with the boat. When he came to the surface he was able to climb onto the keel. Most of the crew went over the rail and down the port side of the ship; some were able to get onto debris and 2 rafts that floated up (a 3rd raft was destroyed). 20 men were taken on board the U-boat, where the captain was questioned by an officer who spoke very good Norwegian. They were also filmed and photographed, but when the smoke of another ship was sighted they were placed on the rafts while the U-boat took off to pursue it (U-178's next victim was the Greek Michael Livanos). The port boat and another capsized lifeboat were righted and bailed and the 33 survivors distributed themselves in them. They reached the coast of Portugese East Africa on July 7, where they were taken care of by the lighthouse keeper and his wife. The 2nd mate, who had been injured, was sent by plane from Inhambane to Lourenço Marques where he was treated at a hospital for his injuries before being sent with the others to Durban and admitted to a hospital there. Out of a crew of 34 and 2 gunners, 3 crew had drowned, namely the British Radio Operator Benjamin C. Regan, the 3rd engineer (Norwegian) and the South African engineroom boy. The 3rd engineer had last been seen lowering himself down into the port boat (the one that capsized). From the deck of the U-boat the captain had seen a body in the water which he believed to be that of the engineer. He had also seen the radio operator come out of the radio station and going down the side of the ship into the water.
Related external links: Back to Breiviken 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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