D/S Hero

To Hero on the "Ships starting with H" page.

Crew List

Final Fate - 1942:

Hero departed Beirut at 09:00 on July 5-1942 with 2 tons of general cargo for Port Said and sailed in convoy escorted by 3 warships (Note: "Nortraships flåte" says she was in ballast). At about 06:00 on the 6th she was hit by 2 torpedoes from U-375 (Könenkamp), position 32 23N 34 35E. The first torpedo struck in the forward hold, the other in the after part of the ship 30 seconds later. She was practically blown to pieces and sank within 40 to 50 seconds. Only the 14 who had been on deck managed to save themselves by jumping overboard. About half an hour later those who were in the water and on a raft were picked up by an escort vessel where the injured received first aid.

Captain Nielsen had been unconscious when he was taken on board and in spite of efforts to revive him for 2 hours he could not be saved. They were all taken to a hospital in Jaffa where the captain was pronounced dead. He was given a military funeral on July 7 at the military cemetery in Ramleh outside Jaffa, in the presence of 1st Mate Fredriksen, 1st Engineer Olsen and 3rd Engineer Abrahamsen, as well as the Norwegian Consul in Haifa, William McCallum, and D/S Hallbjørg's Captain Gulbrandsen and 2nd mate, who had travelled from Haifa to take part in the funeral.

The British Gunner Pottinger had a bad cut on his thigh and ended up having his leg amputated. Gunner Greighton had injured his back. The remaining 4 Europeans could leave the hospital that same evening, while the 6 Chinese survivors, who suffered from burns, cuts and bruises remained.

Maritime hearings were held in New York on Jan. 8-1943 with the 1st mate and 3rd engineer appearing.

Hero was refloated in March of 1944, assumed broken up.

Crew List:

Survivors
1st Mate Einar Fredriksen	3rd Mate Finn Kjellevik *	Boatswain Lee Khim Teng	Able Seaman Leif Haugen	Able Seaman Lee Meng Cheng (Chinese)	Able Seaman Lee Loo Kia (Chinese)
Helmsman Lee Theng Joo (Chinese)	1st Engineer Kristian Olsen	3rd Engineer Albert Abrahamsen	2nd Cook Lim Bak Chwee (Chinese)	Cook Yip Jew (Chinese)	Gunner John Greighton (British)
Gunner Frank Pottinger (British)
Casualties:
† Captain Erling Nielsen	† 2nd Mate Frank A. Hansen	† Able Seaman Bjarne A. Arntsen	† Able Seaman Lee Nam Pian (Chinese)	† Able Seaman Yip Eng (Chinese)	† Able Seaman Ho Choy (Chinese)
† Able Seaman Wang Cheong (Chinese)	† Helmsman Choo Hian Tow (Chinese)	† Helmsman Lim Busk Chye (Chinese)	† 2nd Engineer Johannes Jørgensen	† Repairman Lee Choo Seng (Chinese)	† Stoker Chim Fook (Chinese)
† Stoker Tang Cheong (Chinese)	† Stoker Long Foo (Chinese)	† Stoker You Chrom (Chinese)	† Stoker Wai Hing (Chinese)	† Stoker Yip Mui (Chinese)	† Trimmer Song Yag Tang (Chinese)
† Trimmer Tai Kai Han (Chinese)	† Steward Ng Ching Yam (Chinese)	† Cook Kho Sang Hee (Chinese)	† Cook Ah Khong (Chinese)	† Cook Lee Whoo Kin (Chinese)	† Cook Tai Si Wan (Chinese)
† Pantry Boy Lim Hing Siang (Chinese)	† Mess Boy Yiam Hee Teck (Chinese)	† Mess Boy Choo Oy (Chinese)	† Saloon Boy Lee Chai Thong (Chinese)	† Gunner ? Neawel (British)	† Gunner ? Breau (British)

Related external links:
More on the 4 Norwegians - Memorial for seamen in Stavern, Norway.

Operations Information for U-375

U-375

Back to Hero on the "Ships starting with H" page.

Norway had also lost a ship by this name to WW I, built 1907, 1106 gt - sunk by the German U-71, 100 miles west/southwest of Lindesnes on Dec. 18-1916 while on a voyage from Fredrikstad for London with a cargo of timber.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Krigsseileren", Issue No. 2 for 1975, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume I (Norwegian Maritime Museum) and misc. (ref. My sources).