Leiesten
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| Name | Leiesten | ||
| Type: | Motor tanker | ||
| Tonnage | 6.118 tons | ||
| Completed | 1930 - Sir W.G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co Ltd, Newcastle-upon-Tyne | ||
| Owner | Rafen & Loennechen, Tønsberg | ||
| Homeport | Tønsberg | ||
| Date of attack | 23 Jan, 1942 | Nationality:  Norwegian | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-82 (Siegfried Rollmann) | ||
| Position | 45.27N, 43.19W - Grid BC 8335 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 35 (6 dead and 29 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | ON-56 | ||
| Route | Manchester - Baton Rouge | ||
| Cargo | Ballast | ||
| History | On 30 Jun, 1941, the Leiesten struck a mine off North Foreland and was damaged. No casualties. The ship was towed to London for repairs. | ||
| Notes on loss | At 13.40 hours on 23 Jan, 1942, the Leiesten (Master Nils Jespersen) in convoy ON-56 was hit by two torpedoes from U-82 about 400 miles east-southeast of Cape Race. The explosions killed the chief engineer and four men on watch below, as well as injuring several others. The master ordered the second mate to take the injured into a lifeboat, while he himself remained on board with eleven others in an effort to save the ship, but the U-boat appeared and started shelling the vessel. The men jumped overboard and managed to get onto a raft, but the British messboy hesitated too long and was killed on board by the shelling. After 32 hours, all 29 survivors were picked up by the Greek steam merchant Agios Georgios and taken to Halifax on 30 January. | ||
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