Lancing
Norwegian Whale factory ship
Photo courtesy of Rick Cox Collection
| Name | Lancing | ||
| Type: | Whale factory ship | ||
| Tonnage | 7,866 tons | ||
| Completed | 1898 - C. Connell & Co Ltd, Glasgow | ||
| Owner | Melsom & Melsom, Larvik | ||
| Homeport | Larvik | ||
| Date of attack | 7 Apr 1942 | Nationality:  Norwegian | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-552 (Erich Topp) | ||
| Position | 35° 08'N, 75° 22'W - Grid CA 7991 | ||
| Complement | 50 (1 dead and 49 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Curaçao - New York | ||
| Cargo | 8900 tons of fuel oil | ||
| History | Completed in March 1898 as steam merchant Knight Errant for Knight SS Co Ltd (Greenshields, Cowie), Liverpool. 1914 renamed Rio Tiete for European & Brazilian Shipping Co Ltd (Petersen & Co), London. 1916 sold to Russia and renamed Omsk for Russian Volunteer Fleet (Dobrolyot), Petrograd. 1917 seized by the British Government. 1921 renamed Calanda for London & Foreign Trading Co Ltd (W.J.M. Bell), London. 1923 renamed Flackwell for D.L. Flack & Son Ltd, London. 1925 sold to Norway and converted to the whale factory ship Lancing for Melsom & Melsom, Larvik. | ||
| Notes on event | At 10.52 hours on 7 April 1942 the Lancing (Master Bjerkholt) was torpedoed by U-552 off Cape Hatteras. One torpedo struck on the starboard side amidships, destroying both lifeboats on that side and killing one crew member. The survivors abandoned ship in four lifeboats and were picked up by the American tanker Pan Rhode Island the same morning and taken to Norfolk. They spent the night at the naval base, before being sent by Greyhound bus to New York. | ||
| More info | |||
| On board | We have details of 50 people who were on board. | ||
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