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D/S Ringen To Ringen on the "Ships starting with R" page. Manager: Birger Ekerholt, Oslo Built in Rotterdam 1917. Previous names (from a website visitor): Loosedrecht, then S. E. Calvert. Captain: Oskar Monsen Ringen, general cargo for Rouen, is listed as sailing in Convoy HN 16 from Norway to the U.K. in March.-1940 - follow link for more info, several Norwegian ships took part. Collied with an unknown ship in convoy in the fall of 1941, interrupted her journey on Oct. 26 to go into Hartlepool for repairs.
Took part in Operation Neptune in June-1944, arriving Normandie on June 8 and leaving June 13, made another trip between June 22 and 27, then on her 3rd trip from London she struck a mine* early in the morning of July 4 off Isle of Wight. She had departed Southend on July 3 in convoy. According to the captain's report they were just passing Buoy R 3 when the explosion occurred below midships at bout 06:30, causing all the cargo in holds 1 and 2 as well as some cargo from hold 3 to be thrown up in the air. The 1st mate, who was on watch, was lifted up and ended up lying with his head and arms off the edge of the bridge, with pieces of debris across his back pinning him down. A British gunner was thrown overboard from the starboard side and disappeared. The lookout man, Ordinary Seaman Jacobsen, was also thrown overboard, but resurfaced and was later picked up. The 2nd mate was thrown out of his bunk, and finding the door in his cabin jammed, he had to crawl out through the porthole. As he came on deck he heard cries for help from the gunners' cabin, and with the help of a plank he managed to knock a hole in the door to free Trimmer Rodhaus, before going to the bridge where he was also able to free the 1st mate. Captain Monsen, resting on a bench in his cabin on the port side, found himself covered by his bunk, drawers and other items, but managed to get himself free and out on deck. Coming to the bridge he saw nothing but debris, so he proceeded aft to the lifeboats, to find that the port boat had been launched and rowed away from the ship, while 3 men remained on deck on the starboard side. The captain then attempted to get to the ship's papers in his cabin, but with everything being helter skelter there, and the ship sinking deeper and deeper he returned to the lifeboat. As he came aft the ship heeled over to port, then quickly went down by the bow, so that those who had remained on board had to lower themselves into the water where they were later picked up. George Monk, England has told me that 2nd Mate John Hauge later received the British HonMBE(Civ) and Lloyds Bravery Medal for his actions (his source: Seedies List of awards to the British Merchant Navy which includes awards to Allied merchant seamen). The survivors were picked up by the British destroyer HMS Fernie (L 11) and landed in Normandie that same afternoon. They later boarded Ascanius. 1 Mate Børretzen, Ordinary Seaman Jacobsen, Able Seaman Jensen and Trimmer Rodhaus were sent on board the hospital ship St. Julian.
I've looked through the list of Campbell's who are included for 1944 at the Commonwealth War Graves Comm. website, and the only one I can find who died on the date Ringen was lost is a Kenneth Campbell. There are several M. Campbells who are listed as having died just before or after that date, however, I don't feel they quite fit the bill. Related external link: Back to Ringen on the "Ships starting with R" page. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Krigsseileren", "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Norwegian Maritime Museum, Volume II, and misc. (ref. My sources).
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