Zara
| Name | Zara |
| Type | Steamer
|
| GRT | 1,331 tons |
| Country |  British |
| Built | 1897
|
| Builder | Wm. Hamilton & Co., Port Glasgow
|
| Operator | Ellerman’s Wilson Line, Ltd., Hull
|
| History |
|
U-boat attacks on Steamer Zara
| Date | U-boat | Loss type | Position | Location | Route | Cargo | Casualties |
| 1 | 13 Apr 1917 | U 30 (Franz Grünert) | Sunk | Torpedoed 90 miles W3/4S of Helliso Island - Per U 30 KTB position was 60.14N 01.55E
| 60° 08'N, 1° 52'E
| London - Trondhjem
| general cargo
| 27
|
| REPORT OF THE SINKING
We left Lerwick 8.00 a.m. G.M.T. on the above date, escorted by a T. B., and proceeded to
position Lat. 60 deg 8 min Long 1 deg 52 min, eighty five miles from Bard Head.
The escort left us at 2.00 p.m., sixty miles from Bard Head. 4.30 p.m. sighted a barque on starboard bow, with Norwegian colours painted on side. Treating this vessel with suspicion, I altered course 45 deg to the North. After passing barque altered course again for position given above. 5.35 p.m. altered course to steer for Heliso, course being East by North.
5.45 p.m. I and the Chief Officer (Mr Colightly) being on the bridge, when within two or three minutes I sighted the wake of a torpedo about 6 points on the starboard side. The helm was put hard to starboard, but almost before the ship had time to answer her helm she was struck by the torpedo between the engine room and No. 4 hold, causing a terrible explosion. I immediately ordered all hands to boats, which were already swung out. The Chief Officer whom I saw lowering the port lifeboat, the 2nd Officer lowering starboard lifeboat; further than this I did not see anything of the Chief Officer or his boat’s crew, but I, together with the 2nd Officer and fifteen of crew, also seventeen passengers, left the ship in starboard boat, the ship having sunk in less than three minutes after the explosion. As far as I am able to state, eleven members and eleven passengers perished either through the explosion or were drowned. After pulling for a short distance and seeing the ship had sunk, we set sail, and steering East for the Norwegian coast. We were in the boats for a matter of fifty hours, by which time we had sailed about one hundred miles, and landed on the island outside Utvar at 7.00 p.m. on the 15th. During the time we were in the boat four negro firemen and the chief cook died from exposure. The other members of the boat’s crew landed in an exhausted condition on the island, where we received the greatest possible consideration and hospitality from the Norwegian fishermen and their families. We were on this island until the 17th inst., when we were taken by a Norwegian T. B. to Bergen, which port we left for Aberdeen on the 24th inst., and proceeded to Hull.
The periscope only of the submarine showed above the water after the ship sunk.
(signed) G. Nicoll
Master
|
Position of attack on Zara
If you can help us with any additional information on this vessel then please contact us.
