Ships hit by U-boats


Nariva

British Steam merchant



Photo courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart

NameNariva
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage8,714 tons
Completed1920 - A. Stephen & Sons Ltd, Linthouse, Glasgow 
OwnerRoyal Mail Lines Ltd, London 
HomeportSouthampton 
Date of attack17 Mar 1943Nationality:      British
 
FateSunk by U-91 (Heinz Walkerling)
Position50° 34'N, 35° 02'W - Grid BD 1334
Complement94 (0 dead and 94 survivors).
ConvoyHX-229 (straggler)
RouteBuenos Aires - New York (8 Mar) - Swansea 
Cargo5600 tons of refrigerated foodstuffs 
History Completed in May 1920 
Notes on event

At 05.56 hours on 17 March 1943, U-600 (Zurmühlen) fired a spread of four FAT torpedoes at convoy HX-229 southeast of Cape Farewell and observed a hit amidships on the Nariva in station #91 and two on the Irénée Du Pont in station #81. A further detonation was heard, this was the hit on the Southern Princess in station #72, which caught fire and sank during the morning. At 05.58 hours, the stern torpedo was fired and was seen to hit another freighter amidships, which sank after 10 minutes, but this can not be confirmed from Allied sources.
At 08.39 hours the same day, U-91 fired a spread of three torpedoes at some ships behind convoy and noted two hits, one on a moving freighter and the other on a burning ship. These hits finished off Nariva and Irénée Du Pont and their sinking in 51°05N/33°55W was observed by U-91 in the afternoon and reported at 16.08 hours by a radio message.

HMS Mansfield (G 76) (LtCdr L.C. Hill, OBE, RNR) and HMS Anemone (K 48) (LtCdr P.G.A. King, RNR) had tried to scuttle the Nariva (Master Bernard Cyril Dodds) by gunfire after the corvette picked up the master, 86 crew members and seven gunners.

 
On boardWe have details of 4 people who were on board

Attack entries for Nariva

DateU-boatCommanderLoss typeTonsNat.
17 Mar 1943U-600Kptlt. Bernhard ZurmühlenDamaged8,714  
17 Mar 1943U-91Kptlt. Heinz WalkerlingSunk8,714  


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