Pan Norway
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| Name | Pan Norway | ||
| Type: | Motor tanker | ||
| Tonnage | 9.231 tons | ||
| Completed | 1931 - Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Wallsend, Sunderland | ||
| Owner | Per Holm Shipping Co, Oslo | ||
| Homeport | Oslo | ||
| Date of attack | 27 Jan, 1942 | Nationality:  Norwegian | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-123 (Reinhard Hardegen) | ||
| Position | 35.56N, 50.27W - Grid CC 8691 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 41 (0 dead and 41 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Halifax - Aruba | ||
| Cargo | Ballast | ||
| History | | ||
| Notes on loss | At 02.03 hours on 27 Jan, 1942, U-123 opened fire with the deck gun at the unescorted Pan Norway (Master Joh. A. Bach) east of Cape Hatteras because no torpedoes were left. With the third salvo hits were scored in the engine room and the funnel. Even though the gun on the stern of the tanker was put out of action, the machine guns mounted on the bridge returned fire, hitting the conning tower and the deck several times. The U-boat then fired at the bridge, which caught fire after some hits. When the tanker stopped and the crew began to abandon ship, the fire was ceased. In between Hardegen had to clip the splitten lower lips of Ma.-Gfr. Bastel, who had been hit in the face by an empty ammunition case that fell through the open hatch and lost several tooths. After the crew had left the Pan Norway, the fire was reopened but soon no ammunition for the deck gun was left so they shot holes into the waterline with the 37mm AA gun until the tanker capsized and sank at 03.45 hours. Shortly before the duel began, they had spotted lights and the U-boat now went to investigate them. The lights belonged to the Greek steam merchant Mount Aetna, which was neutral because she operated in Swiss charter. Hardegen stopped the vessel and gave the direction to the survivors of Pan Norway. In a short time the merchant picked up 40 survivors including five wounded and the U-boat rescued another wounded man, took care of him and after a short interrogation placed him aboard the neutral vessel, whose master expressed his thanks and wished the U-boat a lucky return journey. The survivors were landed at Lisbon on 6 February. | ||
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