Eibergen
Dutch Steam merchant
Name | Eibergen | ||
Type: | Steam merchant | ||
Tonnage | 4,801 tons | ||
Completed | 1914 - William Pickersgill & Sons Ltd, Sunderland | ||
Owner | Zuid Hollandsche Scheepvaart Mij NV, Rotterdam | ||
Homeport | Rotterdam | ||
Date of attack | 3 Jun 1941 | Nationality: Dutch | |
Fate | Sunk by U-75 (Helmuth Ringelmann) | ||
Position | 48° 02'N, 25° 06'W - Grid BD 6622 | ||
Complement | 39 (4 dead and 35 survivors). | ||
Convoy | OB-327 (dispersed) | ||
Route | Newcastle-upon-Tyne – Oban - Pepel, Sierra Leone | ||
Cargo | Ballast | ||
History | Completed in April 1914 for Furness Scheepvaart en Agentuur Mij NV (Furness, Withy & Co Ltd), Rotterdam. 1919 transferred to Zuid Hollandsche Scheepvaart Mij NV, Rotterdam. | ||
Notes on event | At 03.45 hours on 3 June, the unescorted Eibergen (Master R. Hilbrandie), dispersed from convoy OB-327 on 1 June, was hit aft by one torpedo from U-75 about 650 miles north of the Azores. The U-boat had chased the ship for more than 9 hours, missed with a first torpedo at 02.37 hours and then a spread of two torpedoes at 02.53 hours before hitting the ship with the fourth. The Germans observed how the ship settled by the stern and the crew began to abandon ship in two lifeboats, but suddenly the U-boat was illuminated by a searchlight and opened fire with the AA gun to destroy it. U-75 then turned around and fired its stern torpedo as coup de grâce at 04.00 hours. The torpedo struck amidships and caused the Eibergen to break in two and sink within one minute. Two crew members on watch below were killed and two British gunners failed to leave the ship. The survivors were not questioned by the Germans because the identity of the victim was known from its distress signals. HMCS Niagara (I 57) (LtCdr E.L. Armstrong, RCN) from the dispersed convoy OB-328 and the ocean boarding vessel HMS Malvernian were sent to the area to search for the lifeboats, but were unable to find them. On 7 June, the survivors were picked up by HMS Cairo (D 87) (Capt I.R.H. Black, RN) and later landed at Gourock. | ||
On board | We have details of 38 people who were on board. |
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