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D/S Douro To Douro on the "Ships starting with D" page. Manager: E. B. Aaby, Oslo Built in Tønsberg 1921. Previous name: Peik (possibly for Hans H. Torgersen & Co. A/S Tønsberg?). Captain: Bernhard Høgseth Douro was scheduled for Convoy HG 47 from Gibraltar to the U.K. in Nov./Dec.-1940, with pit props for Cardiff, but did not sail and instead joined the next convoy, HG 48. There's a ship listed as Duro in Convoy RU 11 from Reykjavik to the U.K. in Febr.-1942, bound for Scrabster with fresh fish. No tonnage is given for this ship, but I'm wondering if it might be a misspelling of Douro?
Departed Reykjavik for Hull with 375 tons fish on ice on May 7-1942 (this date fits with the departure date for Convoy RU 22 - however, she's not included in that convoy). Attacked by aircraft on May 9, hit by 4 bombs amidships on the port side, behind the funnel, position 60 41N 12 58W, and sank in two minutes having broken off amidships. As the lifeboats were destroyed the survivors had to jump overboard. 10 eventually managed to get on two rafts, 8 on one and 2 on the other (the 2nd Engineer and Able Seaman/Gunner Karlsen), and that afternoon they were located by a British aircraft which signalled to them that help would be summoned. A few hours thereafter the aircraft returned signalling that help was on its way and that evening the Icelandic trawler Gyllir (Captain Karl Jonsson) came to their assistance. They were taken to Reykjavik where 2 injured men received medical treatment. 7 had been killed on board, 3 drowned, incl. the captain. The 1st mate, who had spent about an hour(?) in the water before getting on a raft, stated at the maritime hearings that while still in the water he had approached a lifeboat with 2 men, namely Stoker Mauritz Johansen and Boatswain Theodor Kristiansen. He had strongly encouraged them to swim towards a raft which was drifting slowly about 100 meters away, because he considered the lifeboat in such a state that it was unsafe, but the 2 stayed where they were and were not seen again. The captain had been seen in the water by Gunner Kristiansen who at that time was holding on to the remnants of the motorboat, so he could not go to his aid. Gunner Kristiansen received Krigsmedaljen (the War Medal) for shooting down the enemy plane that day. It fell into the ocean about 500 meters from them. The maritime hearings were held in Reykjavik on May 16-1942 with the 1st mate, the 2nd mate and Able Seaman/Gunner P. Kristiansen appearing.
Related external link: Bck to Douro on the "Ships starting with D" page. Here's some information on another Douro, built 1948. 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) - ref. My sources.
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