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M/T Mexico To Mexico on the "Ships starting with M" page. Owner: Skibs-A/S Mexico Built by Nakskov Skibsværft, Nakskov, Denmark in 1920. Captain: Godtfred Sandnes Her voyages are listed on this original document received from the National Archives of Norway.
Mexico, bound for Portland and London, is listed among the ships in the Bermuda portion of Convoy HX 46 in May/June-1940 - several other Norwegian ships took part, follow link for cruising order. She arrived Portland on June 14. In July she joined Convoy OB 182, departing Liverpool on July 11, dispersed on the 14th, Mexico arriving New York on Aug. 2. On Nov. 23 that year she was scheduled for the Bermuda portion of Convoy HX 91, but did not sail. She was also cancelled from the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 14 a week later. Related external link:
In March of 1941 E-boats laid several mine fields along the east coast of the U.K., while aircraft dropped large quantities of magnetic and acoustic mines at the inlets to Mersey, the Thames, Humber and Clyde. Ship losses increased dramatically. Mexico had been scheduled for the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 21 at the end of Jan.-1941, but instead joined the next convoy, SC 22, destination London. At about 09:05 on March 6 (51 53N 01 37E), she struck a mine near the Thames estuary. Voyage information is given as from Curacao (via Halifax and Methil) to London with 3823 tons fuel oil. Convoy SC 22 had departed Halifax on Febr. 8 and Mexico had stopped at Loch Ewe on the 25th, later joining Convoy WN 92, which arrived Methil on March 3. From there, she joined Convoy FS 427 that same day in order to complete her voyage to London. Again, see the document from the Norwegian archives. The explosion occurred under the engine room, killing all those who were on duty there, and instantly stopping the engine with the result that all the lights went out. 3rd Mate Grøn, the officer on watch, was in the wheelhouse at the time, Ordinary Seaman Mønnerød was at the wheel, while the Latvian Ordinary Seaman Plume was on lookout duty on the starboard side on the bridge. Some of the crew, among them one of the casualties, the Belgian Able Seaman Verheyden, were working on getting the mooring ropes out, supervised by Boatswain Gustavsen. The captain, who was on the port side of the bridge, was lifted up and fell backwards, and when he got on his feet again he saw a dark cloud of smoke obscuring the entire after section of the ship. As the smoke cleared he saw that the aft deck was under water, the 2 lifeboats there were gone, with the starboard boat floating upside down in the water. A raft was seen on edge near the funnel. The ship started to go straight down very quickly, without listing. The captain shouted towards aft for those who were there to use the raft, but both rafts were gone. The 3rd engineer and 3 crew managed to get themselves forward*, and the gig was lowered with 11 men, including the captain. They picked up 4 from the water, namely the radio operator, who had jumped overboard from amidships, and 3 others who had jumped from the after part of the ship, meaning there were 15 in the gig. The 1st mate, the 1st engineer, the boatswain, a Canadian gunner (who was injured) and 1 of the crew were in the forward lifeboat**. All 20 were picked up by the British destroyer Witherington, which came to assist shortly thereafter. 3 had to be taken ashore on stretchers upon arrival Sheerness.
An inquiry was held in London on March 24-1941, with the captain, the 3rd mate, Ordinary Seaman Mønnerød, and the 1st and 3rd engineers appearing. Boatswain Gustavsen had joined D/S Vigrid in London on March 15. Roger W. Jordan's "The World's Merchant Fleets 1939" says Mexico sank in position 51 55 04N 01 38 01E (claiming that 23 survived).
The wreck of Mexico was visible all through the rest of the war with the forepart above water, and wasn't sunk until Jan.-1946. A visitor to my website has told me that according to "Shipwreck Index of the British Isles" she was dispersed as navigational hazard, 1.75 miles south/southwest of the East Shipwash buoy. Related external links: Ships of the East Asiatic Line - This page has some more details on this ship, as well as a picture. Back to Mexico on the "Ships starting with M" page. Norway had previously had a whale oil factory by this name, laid down as War Yukon for the Shipping Controller in 1918. Became British Ryckett in 1919, Norwegian Ragnhild Bryde in 1923 (Leif Bryde A/S, Sandefjord), Mexico for Hvalfangerselskapet Mexico A/S, Sandefjord in 1925. Renamed Porvenir the following year (Hvalfangerselskapet Atlas A/S, Sandefjord). Panamanian Coronado in 1927, scrapped in 1937. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Norwegian Maritime Museum, Volume II, and misc. (ref. My sources).
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