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M/S Lenda To Lenda on the "Ships starting with L" page. Manager: Leif Erichsen, Bergen Built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd., Wallsend, Sunderland in 1924. Previous name: Lenfield until 1937. Captain: Caspar Bjørseth Lenda is listed in Convoy OB 134 at the end of Apr.-1940, voyage from Glasgow to Digby in ballast, station 43. The external website that I've linked to below has more on this convoy. Related external link:
Lenda was on a voyage from Digby and Halifax (departed Halifax on June 15-1940) to The Downs and Hull with 1921 standards of sawn lumber loaded at Port Wade, N.S, when she was torpedoed, then shelled at about 24:50 on June 27-1940 by U-47 (Prien), position 50 12N 13 18W (about 160 n. miles southwest of Fastnet). The torpedo had missed, and since they were alone on the ocean Prien could safely save his torpedoes and use his guns instead. For 20 minutes the crew endured the shelling, taking cover behind the casing of the cabins amidships and behind the deck cargo as best they could, until the lumber caught on fire. The captain and 2 others then attempted to lower the starboard dinghy, but it immediately filled with water, splintered by the shellfire, so they had to give it up. The shelling had also damaged the port lifeboat, but when it finally stopped the captain and 6 men left the ship in this boat while the majority got in the starboard boat with the 2nd mate in command and rowed away from the wreck. Some had jumped overboard and were picked up by the lifeboat. As the 2 boats came together the 1st mate was found to be missing. The port boat had stayed afloat on the airtanks for a while, but it sank shortly afterwards, so all 27 were now in the other boat. They decided to stay close by until daylight in the hope of finding the 1st mate. Lenda was on fire aft and amidships and the sea entered through holes at the waterline on the port side and she was listing heavily to starboard, but as soon as it got light enough she was boarded again and the 1st mate was found dead on the port side of the upper bridge. The port dinghy was lowered and 8 of the men transferred to that, whereupon both boats left the ship, the lifeboat towing the dinghy, setting a course for Fastnet Light on the southwest coast of Ireland. Shortly after they had left the wreck again, two powerful explosions were heard, followed by a tall column of flames which appeared to be coming from the engine room. She stayed afloat for a while with the help of the cargo, but finally sank. The survivors were rescued that same afternoon (after about 12 hours in the boats); the captain and 18 men from starboard boat by the destroyer HMS Hurricane and the 8 from the dinghy by HMS Havelock and were landed in Plymouth on June 30 and July 2 respectively. Maritime hearings were held there on July 5-1940 with the captain, the 2nd mate, the 3rd engineer, Able Seaman Lein (lookout), and Ordinary Seaman Ludvigsen (helmsman) appearing. None of them appear to have been aware of the fact that the U-boat had also sent off a torpedo at the ship. The captain stated that Lenda might stay afloat on her cargo for some time and that it might be possible to salve the ship and part of the cargo, so it looks like they had not actually seen her sink. Crew List:
Back to Lenda on the "Ships starting with L" page. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Norwegian Maritime Museum, Volume I, and misc. (ref. My sources).
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