Ships hit by U-boats


Gimle

Norwegian Steam merchant



Photo from sjohistorie.no

NameGimle
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage1,271 tons
Completed1916 - Scheepswerf Jonker & Stans, Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht 
OwnerErling J. Torstensen, Arendal 
HomeportArendal 
Date of attack4 Dec 1939Nationality:      Norwegian
 
FateSunk by U-31 (Johannes Habekost)
Position57° 15'N, 1° 50'E - Grid AN 5316
Complement19 (3 dead and 16 survivors).
Convoy
RouteWest Hartlepool (3 Dec) - Gothenburg 
CargoCoke nuts 
History Completed in December 1916 as Froland for Vest-Norge D/S A/S (H. Schnitler), Kristiansand. 1919 renamed Troldholmen for Taormina D/S A/S (Eivind Eriksen), Oslo. 1920 renamed Gimle for the same owner. 1934 sold to Skibs-A/S Froland (Erling J. Torstensen), Arendal.

On 6 Jun 1938, during the Spanish Civil War, the Gimle (Master Nils Dahl Nielsen) en route from Wales to Oran was captured by a Spanish vessel and taken to Ceuta, where she was kept for three weeks. 
Notes on event

At 01.23 hours on 4 December 1939 the unescorted Gimle (Master Nils Dahl Nielsen) was torpedoed and sunk by U-31 about 130 miles east of Aberdeen. The ship was struck by one torpedo near #3 hatch and soon listed heavily to starboard. All the lights went out and the starboard lifeboat was destroyed, but the survivors managed to launch the port boat. The master and two men were fished up from the water by the boat. The damaged motorboat with one man had floated free, as well as a raft with another man. The lifeboat with 13 survivors took the raft with three survivors in tow. Several of the survivors were not properly dressed, so they had to sit barefoot in the ice cold water which collected on the bottom. By the time they were rescued they had developed large sores, and were very swollen. Due to stormy weather with heavy seas the tow kept breaking so the men on the raft were transferred into the boat in the afternoon of the 5 December and they dropped a sea anchor. The next morning they set sail for the Scottish coast. At least 14 vessels passed them until they were picked up on 7 December by the Rudolf and taken to Arendal.

 
More infoMore on this vessel 
On boardWe have details of 19 people who were on board


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