Ships hit by U-boats


Pendrecht

Dutch Motor tanker



NamePendrecht
Type:Motor tanker
Tonnage10,746 tons
Completed1939 - NV Rotterdamsche Droogdok Mij, Rotterdam 
OwnerNV Phs. van Ommeren´s Scheepvaartbedrijf, Rotterdam 
HomeportRotterdam 
Date of attack8 Jun 1941Nationality:      Dutch
 
FateSunk by U-48 (Herbert Schultze)
Position45° 18'N, 36° 40'W - Grid BD 7212
Complement36 (0 dead and 36 survivors).
ConvoyOB-329 (dispersed)
RouteHolyhead (30 May) - New York 
CargoBallast 
History Completed in June 1939

At 16.15 hours on 18 December 1940 the Pendrecht (Master Albert Meinsma), dispersed the day before from convoy OB-259, was hit aft on the starboard side ahead of the engine room by one G7e torpedo from U-96 (Lehmann-Willenbrock) in 59°05N/17°47W after being chased by the U-boat for about one hour. The tanker had left Cardiff for New York in ballast on 7 December. The U-boat surfaced in some distance because they had no torpedoes left in the tubes, only one G7a torpedo stored in a deck canister and the tanker was armed. The crew initially abandoned ship but reboarded the vessel when two other tankers arrived and one of them fired two shots at U-96, keeping her at distance while the Germans moved the spare torpedo into the boat. The U-boat then tried to locate the damaged tanker again but lost her during the night. HMS Legion (G 74) (Cdr R.F. Jessel, RN) then met Pendrecht and escorted her to Rothesay, arrving on 21 December. There were no casualties. The tanker had a hole of 14 meters in her side and went to Glasgow for temporary repairs, later to Swansea because it was planned to transfer her to the USA for permanent repairs. 
Notes on event

At 15.45 hours on 8 June 1941 the Pendrecht (Master Albert Meinsma), dispersed on 5 June from convoy OB-329, was hit on the port side amidships and the stern by two torpedoes from U-48 about 500 miles northwest of the Azores. The tanker was en route to the USA for permanent repairs of the torpedo damage received by U-96 (Lehmann-Willenbrock) on 18 December 1940. The master tried to stabilize her by counter flooding, but the tanker caught fire and sank by the stern within minutes after being hit underneath the funnel by a coup de grâce at 16.17 hours. All crew members had abandoned ship in three lifeboats, twelve in each one. On 10 June, the survivors in the lifeboat in charge of the master were picked up by the British steam merchant Alresford and taken to Sydney, Nova Scotia. On 18 June, the men in the second boat were picked up by HMS Pandora (N 42) (LtCdr J.W. Linton, DSC, RN) in 43º20N, 28º02W and brought ashore on 28 June in Portsmouth, NH. The occupants of the third lifeboat were picked up by the American passenger ship Excalibur on 22 June and were taken to New York, arriving on 28 June.

 
On boardWe have details of 29 people who were on board

Attack entries for Pendrecht

DateU-boatCommanderLoss typeTonsNat.
18 Dec 1940U-96Kptlt. Heinrich Lehmann-WillenbrockDamaged10,746  
8 Jun 1941U-48Kptlt. Herbert SchultzeSunk10,746  


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