Ships hit by U-boats


Vigrid

Norwegian Motor merchant



Vigrid under her former name Titania. Photo from City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 447-2769

NameVigrid
Type:Motor merchant
Tonnage4,765 tons
Completed1923 - Deutsche Werft AG, Betrieb Finkenwärder, Hamburg 
OwnerOlav Ringdal, Oslo 
HomeportOslo 
Date of attack24 Jun 1941Nationality:      Norwegian
 
FateSunk by U-371 (Heinrich Driver)
Position54° 30'N, 41° 30'W - Grid AK 4455
Complement47 (26 dead and 21 survivors).
ConvoyHX-133 (straggler)
RouteNew Orleans (5 Jun) - Bermuda (14 Jun) - Belfast - Manchester 
Cargo6000 tons of general cargo, including 1000 tons of spelter, 500 tons of copper and 752 tons of iron and steel 
History Completed in February 1923 as Titania for Wilh. Wilhelmsen, Tønsberg. 1937 renamed Vigrid for Bruun & von der Lippe´s Rederi A/S, Tønsberg. Later that year sold to Skibs A/S Gdynia (Olav Ringdal), Oslo. 
Notes on event

At 11.32 and 11.33 hours on 24 June 1941, U-371 fired two torpedoes at the Vigrid (Master Harald Holst) about 400 miles southeast of Cape Farewell and hit her between #1 and #2 hold and #4 hold, causing her to sink rapidly after the second hit. The ship straggled about 40 miles behind convoy HX-133 after engine troubles in the evening of 23 June. The master, 33 crew members, three gunners and ten passengers (American Red Cross nurses) abandoned ship in four lifeboats of which two set sail to Greenland while the others set course for Iceland. One of the latter boats was never heard of again, while the other was located by HMS Keppel (D 84) (Cdr A.M. Sheffield, RN) in 60°38N/23°15W on 13 July and the surviving two officers, three crewmen and two passengers were brought to a hospital in Londonderry on 17 July. Meanwhile, the two boats sailing for Greenland stayed together but came into storms and heavy seas and one boat disappeared one night, while the other was found by USS Charles F. Hughes (DD 428) on 5 July and the master, two officers, six crewmen, one gunner and four passengers were landed at Reykjavik on 8 July after a fruitless search for the other lifeboat.

 
More infoMore on this vessel 
On boardWe have details of 47 people who were on board


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