WWI forum
World War One discussions.
Sinking of the Cabo Verde in the galician coast (SPAIN)
Posted by:
fuentes
()
Date: September 25, 2007 10:10AM
In a book written some 30 years by Jose Baña Heim, where the autor made an in-depth investigation of all the sinkings that ocurred in the so-called death coast in galicia all the way up from the cape of Finisterre to cape Roncudo, it is reported that a portuguese merchant vessel named CABO VERDE was sunk close to cape Vilan.
It was on the 12th of July 1917.
The story, as the local fishermen explained to the author, was the following:
A fisher boat (the kind what we call here a "traÃña xeiteira" 8 to 12 men rowing) was working on a fishing bank not far from Cape Vilan, when the Cabo Verde (8000 tons) appeared at full speed. After a few minutes an U-boat emmerged on his bow and forced the merchant to stop. The germans boarded the vessel and the crew was sent to land with the life boats. While the germans where deploying the charges to blow up the whole thing the captain called the fishermen, who where watching the whole spectacle at a safe distance, making them understand that they had a few minutes to sack the merchant before they would sink it. It was full of tropical goods from the portuguese colonies that where heading torwards Britain. Well, the fishermen had neraly stacked up all the coffee sugar and tobacco crates that their tiny boat could hold, when a british cruiser appeared and they had to stop. The germans blew up the three charges they had placed and the merchant sank, the cruiser had only time to shoot once before the u-boat dived away undamaged.
I wanted to know whether it is possible for someone to identify that boat and his captain, i would much appreciate.
And another thing...
Don't know if I should post this in a diferent post because it belongs to WWII, but i don't have that much time. I´ve been told by my village elders that a local fisherboat (this time motorized) was fishing off the Ria of Muros and Noia with dinamyte (some reckless scum still do it today), coincidentaly, there was a dived german U-boat that had to emmerge wondering what hit them. You can imagine the faces of the fishermen when they saw that monster surface a few meters from them away. when the germans saw that there was no hull damage, they dived away again.
Well, I don´t know the year. I don´t even know if the story is 100% true. It can be an vast exageration.
I would greatly appreciate any information on this subject also.
Thank You in advance
X. Fuentes
It was on the 12th of July 1917.
The story, as the local fishermen explained to the author, was the following:
A fisher boat (the kind what we call here a "traÃña xeiteira" 8 to 12 men rowing) was working on a fishing bank not far from Cape Vilan, when the Cabo Verde (8000 tons) appeared at full speed. After a few minutes an U-boat emmerged on his bow and forced the merchant to stop. The germans boarded the vessel and the crew was sent to land with the life boats. While the germans where deploying the charges to blow up the whole thing the captain called the fishermen, who where watching the whole spectacle at a safe distance, making them understand that they had a few minutes to sack the merchant before they would sink it. It was full of tropical goods from the portuguese colonies that where heading torwards Britain. Well, the fishermen had neraly stacked up all the coffee sugar and tobacco crates that their tiny boat could hold, when a british cruiser appeared and they had to stop. The germans blew up the three charges they had placed and the merchant sank, the cruiser had only time to shoot once before the u-boat dived away undamaged.
I wanted to know whether it is possible for someone to identify that boat and his captain, i would much appreciate.
And another thing...
Don't know if I should post this in a diferent post because it belongs to WWII, but i don't have that much time. I´ve been told by my village elders that a local fisherboat (this time motorized) was fishing off the Ria of Muros and Noia with dinamyte (some reckless scum still do it today), coincidentaly, there was a dived german U-boat that had to emmerge wondering what hit them. You can imagine the faces of the fishermen when they saw that monster surface a few meters from them away. when the germans saw that there was no hull damage, they dived away again.
Well, I don´t know the year. I don´t even know if the story is 100% true. It can be an vast exageration.
I would greatly appreciate any information on this subject also.
Thank You in advance
X. Fuentes
| Subject | Written By | Posted |
|---|---|---|
Sinking of the Cabo Verde in the galician coast (SPAIN)
|
fuentes | 09/25/2007 10:10AM |
|
Re: Sinking of the Cabo Verde in the galician coast (SPAIN)
|
Michael Lowrey | 09/25/2007 11:41AM |
|
Re: Sinking of the Cabo Verde in the galician coast (SPAIN)
|
Simon Schnetzke | 09/25/2007 05:01PM |