Bistritza
| Name | Bistritza |
| Type | Steamer
|
| GRT | 3,688 tons |
| Country |  Romanian |
| Built | 1915
|
| Builder | J. Priestman & Co., Sunderland
|
| Operator | Romania Prima Societate Nationala de Nav. Maritima, Braila
|
| History |
\"Bistritza\" was one of the 4 Romanian merchant ships navigating outside the Black Sea at the WW 1 outbreak. The others were \"Jiul\" (3115 to), \"Bucharest\" (2499 to) and \"Dunarea\". The oilers \"Steaua Romana\" (i.e. \"Romanian Star\" - 5311 to) and \"Barbu Stirbey\" (3032 to) also sailing for some foreign companies. Other 12 cargoships and 5 passengers served inside the Black Sea, with the straits blocked by Turkey. According to some documents, when \"Bistritza\" was intercepted near the Norway coast, she was carrying the following equipments and materials for Romanian Army: 10000 rifles, 100 machine-guns, 20 mortars, 93 cars and trucks, 24 planes, 5 recce-baloons, 2.2 bill. cartridges for rifles, 380000 hand grenades, 60000 helmets, 135 to of explosives, 944 to of diferrent metals for industry and 62 to of machine-tools, at a value of Lei 30 Bill. (today approx. USD 115 Bill.). The german captain embarked all romanian crew (32 people) on his submarine and after few days freed them on a Russian sail-boat (without strategic value), and all of them were returned to the country.
Contribution from Marius Radulescu - Sources to be quoted
|
U-boat attacks on Steamer Bistritza
| Date | U-boat | Loss type | Position | Location | Route | Cargo | Casualties |
| 1 | 11 Oct 1916 | U 43 (Hellmuth Jürst) | Sunk | 70 miles N of Finmarken coast
|
| Brest - Archangelsk
| ammunition, guns & aircraft
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