Susan Mærsk
British Steam merchant
Photo courtesy of Danish Maritime Museum, Elsinore
| Name | Susan Mærsk | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 2,355 tons | ||
| Completed | 1923 - Odense Staalskibsværft ved A.P. Møller, Odense | ||
| Owner | William Petersen & Co Ltd, London | ||
| Homeport | Belfast | ||
| Date of attack | 12 Jun 1941 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-553 (Karl Thurmann) | ||
| Position | 44° 45'N, 25° 15'W - Grid BD 9398 | ||
| Complement | 24 (24 dead - no survivors) | ||
| Convoy | OG-64 (detached) | ||
| Route | Newport (1 Jun) - Milford Haven (3 Jun) - Curaçao | ||
| Cargo | Ballast | ||
| History | Completed in October 1923 as Danish Susan Mærsk for A.P. Møller, Copenhagen. In May 1940 taken over by Britain and transferred to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). | ||
| Notes on event | At 01.22 hours on 12 June 1941, U-553 fired one torpedo at an unescorted freighter about 370 miles north-northeast of the Azores and observed how the ship sank within 90 seconds after being hit underneath the bridge. The U-boat had spotted the ship about five hours earlier and missed with a stern torpedo at 01.05 hours. The target must have been the Susan Mærsk (Master Kaj Bjørn Thomsen) which was reported missing after being detached from convoy OG-64. The master, 22 crew members and one gunner were lost. | ||
| On board | We have details of 23 people who were on board. | ||
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