Vapper
Estonian Steam merchant
Vapper under her former name Seapool. Photo courtesy of Dmitriy A. Sidorov
| Name | Vapper | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 4,543 tons | ||
| Completed | 1913 - Ropner & Sons Ltd, Stockton-on-Tees | ||
| Owner | A/S Tallinna Laevaühisus, Tallinn | ||
| Homeport | Tallinn | ||
| Date of attack | 6 Jul 1940 | Nationality:  Estonian | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-34 (Wilhelm Rollmann) | ||
| Position | 49° 30'N, 9° 15'W - Grid BF 1824 | ||
| Complement | 33 (1 dead and 32 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Cardiff - Buenos Aires | ||
| Cargo | Coal | ||
| History | Completed in October 1913 as British Seapool for Pool Shipping Co Ltd (Ropner), West Hartlepool. 1936 renamed Pilcot for McCowen & Gross Ltd, London. 1939 sold to Estonia and renamed Vapper. | ||
| Notes on event | At 10.58 hours on 6 July 1940 the unescorted Vapper (Master O. Laas) was hit underneath the bridge by one G7e torpedo from U-34 south of Cape Clear. After the crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats, the U-boat fired at 11.15 hours a G7a coup de grâce that hit in the engine room and caused the ship to break in two and sink in less than a minute. The next day, the master and 14 crew members were picked up by HMS Broke (Cdr B.G. Scurfield, RN) in position 50°10N/07°56W and were later landed in Falmouth. Also on 7 July, the 17 survivors in the other boat were picked up by HMCS Restigouche (H 00) (Cdr H.N. Lay, RCN) and landed at Plymouth later that day. The sinking had been observed by U-99 (Kretschmer), which had chased this ship for 90 minutes and was just about to attack herself when it was torpedoed by the other U-boat. | ||
| On board | We have details of 1 people who were on board. | ||
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