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D/S Fidelio To Fidelio on the "Ships starting with F" page. Owner: Skibs A/D Fidelio Built in Burntisland 1930. Captain: Bertinius Pedersen
In Sept.-1940 Fidelio is listed in the slow Sydney (Cape Breton)-U.K. Convoy SC 5, cargo of pulp wood for Barrow. In the summer of 1941 she was scheduled, with a cargo bauxite and pitch for Burntisland, in Convoy SC 34, which left Sydney, C.B. on June 10-1941, but she did not sail. In Nov. that year we find her in station 93 of the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 33 - became a straggler in heavy weather. She returned to the U.K. the following month with Convoy SC 59, bound for Ridham Docks, cargo of pulp wood; follow links for more on these convoys. In March-1942 she sailed in Convoy RU 15 from Reykjavik to the U.K., together with Marianne, and towards the end of May she shows up in the U.K.-Iceland Convoy UR 26, together with the Norwegian Lyra. The following month she's listed in Convoy RU 28 from Reykjavik, in ballast for Manchester, then in Aug. she was in Convoy RU 35, in ballast for Tyne.
She was in ballast in convoy off Lowestoft on a voyage from Becton to Tyne on Nov. 9-1942 when she was torpedoed by E-boats from 2nd S-Flottille (Feldt) and sunk, 58° 1.6 n. miles from C3 Buoy. I've been told by a German visitor to my site that she was in Convoy FN 61 when S-46 and S-83 attacked her. The entire after part blew up, 7 died instantly in their cabins, the rest of the crew managed to get in the lifeboats and stayed by Fidelio until she sank, but saw no signs of life on board or around in the sea. An hour later they were picked up by a tug, then transferred to a gunboat 4 hours later, which landed them in Great Yarmouth the next morning. 2 of the survivors were seriously hurt and were admitted to a hospital. The maritime hearings were held in London on Nov. 13-1942 with the captain, the 2nd mate (both on the bridge at the time of attack) and Able Seaman Sørensen (lookout) appearing. (Charles Hocking places this incident on Nov. 2, crediting the sinking to a German U-boat, adding that 9 were killed). The wreck was later dispersed by explosives. Crew List:
Related external link: Back to Fidelio on the "Ships starting with F" 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. - ref. My sources.
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