Site Map | Search Warsailors.com | Merchant Fleet Main Page | Warsailors.com Home |
|
M/T Ferm To Ferm on the "Ships starting with F" page. Owner: Skibs-A/S Ferm Built in Gothenburg 1933. Captain: Bernt A. Thorbjørnsen Ferm is listed among the ships in Convoy HX 35 in Apr.-1940, along with several other Norwegian ships. She was bound for Le Havre with a cargo of crude oil and sailed in station 83 of the convoy - follow link for convoy details. According to the first external website that I've linked to at the end of this text, Ferm was in Convoy SLS 56 from Freetown in Nov./Dec.-1940, bound for Gibraltar in station 43 of the convoy, cargo of fuel oil. The Norwegian Bruse Jarl, Sandar and Sirehei are also listed.
Ferm was scheduled for Convoy HX 111 in Febr.-1941, but did not sail. Insted she joined Convoy HX 112, which departed Halifax on March 1-1941 with 41 ships. She was bound for Avonmouth with a cargo of fuel oil, and was torpedoed by U-99 (Kretschmer) at about 23:15 on March 16, 60 42N 13 10W. Ferm, in station 44 of the convoy with a cargo of close to 9000 fuel oil for Avonmouth was struck in the foreship, the explosion setting her on fire and causing her to list to port while she started to sink by the bow. All 35 on board survived and abandoned ship in 3 boats, to be picked up shortly afterwards by the British escort vessel K 80 (I believe this was the corvette HMS Bluebell). The commander of this vessel asked the captain if there was any chance of going back on board, but when Captain Thorbjørnsen asked his officers and crew if they would be willing to do so, they all declined, considering it too risky, because the corvette could not remain alongside to wait for them and take them off should anything go wrong. Besides, they had had to set the lifeboats adrift when they were rescued, so would have no means of escape if an attempt at saving the ship should prove too dangerous or in case the weather should worsen. The commander then suggested reporting the case to the Admiralty in order to get a tug to investigate the ship, to which the captain agreed. Rohwer indicates that Ferm was sunk in this attack, but "Nortraships flåte" states that an attempt was made to save her the next morning as she was still afloat. Also, Roger W. Jordan's "The world's Merchant Fleets" says she was taken in tow, but sank on March 21 in 61 30N 09 30W.
The maritime hearings were held in Greenock on March 24-1941 with the captain, the 1st and 2nd mates, the 1st engineer, the assistant, Ordinary Seaman Vartdal (helmsman), the pump man and the boatswain appearing. When the torpedo struck the 2nd mate was on duty on the bridge, while Assistant Torsvik and Mechanic Tonning were on watch in the engine room. The 1st mate was off duty. It appears that some of Ferm's crew members had been asked to go on board another torpedoed ship, the French Franche Comte (sailing under MOWT, in other words, British flag) to help bring her to port. Erling Jansen stated at the maritime hearings that Able Seaman Arnulf Andersen went on board, adding that most of the English and Scottish able seamen and firemen had also been asked, and the English did go. This is a bit strange, because I don't see any firemen in the crew list, nor do I see any names that look English or Scottish - unless he's referring to the corvette's crew(?). Other ships lost in this convoy in addition to Ferm and the Norwegian M/T Beduin were the British Venetia (maize - no casualties), the Swedish Korshamn (general -26 died), the Canadian J.B. White (steel and paper - 2 died), all sunk by U-99. The British Erodona was damaged by U-110. The remainder of the convoy arrived Liverpool on March 20-1941. U-99 was scuttled on March 17 after HMS Walker (escort vessel for the above convoy), commanded by Macintyre, had sent a series of depth charges towards her, approximate position 61N 12W, 3 died, 40 survivors were picked up by Walker. Kretschmer spent the rest of the war as a prisoner in Canada. Related external links: 1 who died on board - Mess Boy Ottar Høijord is listed as having died following an accident on board while at sea on June 1-1940. U-99 | Otto Kretschmer The Sinking of HMS Patroclus and HMS Laurentic by Chris Paddock, telling the story of the sinking of these two ships by Otto Kretschmer and U-99. A section of Tom Purnell's website (he writes extensively about Convoy HX 72). Back to Ferm on the "Ships starting with F" page. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "The allied Convoy System", Arnold Hauge, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume I (Norwegian Maritime Museum) and misc. others as named within above text for cross checking details - ref. My sources.
|