Ships hit by U-boats


Lenda

Norwegian Motor merchant



NameLenda
Type:Motor merchant
Tonnage4,005 tons
Completed1924 - Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Walker-on-Tyne 
OwnerLeif Erichsen, Bergen 
HomeportBergen 
Date of attack27 Jun 1940Nationality:      Norwegian
 
FateSunk by U-47 (Günther Prien)
Position50° 12'N, 13° 18'W - Grid BE 3282
Complement28 (1 dead and 27 survivors).
Convoy
RouteDigby - Halifax (15 Jun) - The Downs - Hull 
Cargo1921 standards of timber 
History Completed in December 1924 as British Lenfield for Confield SS Co Ltd (E.J. Sutton & Co), Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 1937 sold to Norway and renamed Lenda for Leif Erichsen, Bergen. 
Notes on event

At 03.38 hours on 27 June 1940 the unescorted Lenda (Master Caspar Bjørseth) was missed by U-47 with one torpedo. Then the U-boat began shelling the ship for the next 20 minutes until she caught fire. The crew abandoned ship in the starboard lifeboat, because the port lifeboat had been damaged by the shelling. The boat stayed near the ship for a while in the hope to find the first mate who was missing. The ship was on fire aft and amidships and the sea entered through holes at the waterline on the port side, so the U-boat left her in this sinking condition. But at dawn, some of the crew reboarded the vessel and they found the first mate dead on the port side of the upper bridge. A workboat was lowered and eight of the men transferred to it, whereupon both boats left and headed for the south of Ireland, just before two explosions were heard, followed by a tall column of fire which appeared to come from the engine room. The Lenda remained afloat for a while on her cargo, but finally sank in 50°N/13°24W, about 160 miles southwest of Fastnet, Ireland. The survivors were picked up in the afternoon by HMS Hurricane (H 06) (LtCdr H.C. Simms, RN) and HMS Havelock (H 88) (Capt E.B.K. Stevens, DSC, RN) and taken to Plymouth on 30 June, respectively 2 July.

 
More infoMore on this vessel 
On boardWe have details of 28 people who were on board


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