Ships hit by U-boats


Bintang

Dutch Motor merchant



Photo from City of Vancouver Archives, CVA 447-2015

NameBintang
Type:Motor merchant
Tonnage6,481 tons
Completed1916 - NV Mij voor Scheeps-en Werktuigbouw ´Fyenoord´, Rotterdam 
OwnerNV Stoomvaart Mij ´Nederland´, Amsterdam 
HomeportAmsterdam 
Date of attack21 Nov 1942Nationality:      Dutch
 
FateSunk by U-160 (Georg Lassen)
Position10° 30'N, 51° 00'W - Grid EO 3364
Complement73 (22 dead and 51 survivors).
Convoy
RouteCalcutta (23 Sep) - Table Bay - Saldanha Bay - Trinidad - Canada - UK 
Cargo 
History Completed in October 1916 as steam merchant, but converted to a motor merchant in 1925. 
Notes on event

At 09.26 hours on 21 Nov 1942 the unescorted Bintang (Master J.T. Rigter) was hit on the port side amidships by two torpedoes from U-160 and sank about 650 miles east of Trinidad. The U-boat had followed the ship since the afternoon on 20 November and had missed with a first spread of two torpedoes. The explosions destroyed both port lifeboats, while the others on the starboard side went down with the ship, so the survivors climbed on five rafts. One raft was found after seven days by the Spanish motor merchant Monte Altube, which landed the survivors at Rio Grande. Another was found by US Navy patrol boat after 17 days. That same day, 12 survivors on the third raft were found by the British motor merchant Rodsley and landed at Port of Spain. After 22 days, the fourth raft was found by the Black Point, which brought the survivors to Georgetown. A fifth raft reached shore at Trinidad after 30 days.

 
On boardWe have details of 73 people who were on board


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