Ships hit by U-boats


Havsten

Norwegian Motor tanker



NameHavsten
Type:Motor tanker
Tonnage6,161 tons
Completed1930 - Barclay, Curle & Co, Whiteinch, Glasgow 
OwnerRafen & Loennechen, Tønsberg 
HomeportTønsberg 
Date of attack4 Aug 1942Nationality:      Norwegian
 
FateDamaged by U-160 (Georg Lassen)
Position10° 25'N, 56° 00'W - Grid EE 8915
Complement33 (1 dead and 32 survivors).
Convoy
RouteFreetown - Trinidad 
CargoBallast 
History Completed in August 1930. Since 1941 in Admiralty service as Royal Fleet Auxiliary. 
Notes on event

At 01.59 hours on 4 August 1942 the unescorted Havsten (Master Gjert Sofus Olsen) was hit by one torpedo from U-160 (Lassen) and at 02.05 hours, missed by a second torpedo. The U-boat then surfaced and shelled the tanker with 20 rounds, setting her on fire and the crew abandoned ship. The second engineer and another crew member had been killed on watch below. The master and the radio operator were taken prisoners by the U-boat, landed at Lorient on 24 August and brought to the POW camp Marlag und Milag Nord, but the master eventually came back to Norway. On 14 August, the lifeboats reached land.

At 10.31 hours on 6 August 1942 the drifting wreck of the Havsten was sunk by the Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli (Fecia di Cossato) with two torpedoes in 11°18N/54°45W.

 
More infoMore on this vessel 
On boardWe have details of 33 people who were on board


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