SHIPS HIT BRITAIN 239 * - M N O
12)NAGINA U-515
Photo. www.photoship.co.uk
Built 1921
Tonnage: 6,551 / 10,828 tons
Cargo: 6,768 tons of general cargo, including 3,000 tons of pig iron, jute, oil seeds, mica, 2,002 bags of mail and tea
Route: Calcutta - Cochin - Takoradi - Freetown - UK
Sunk 30 APR 43 by U-515 on pos. 07º 19’N 13º 50’W
2 Dead
111 Survivors
At 22.56 hours on 30 Apr, 1943, U-515 fired two stern torpedoes at the convoy TS-37 about 130 miles southwest of Freetown and observed hits after 58 and 59 seconds. The first ship was seen sinking fast and another broke in two after being hit under the bridge. At 22.57 hours, one torpedo was fired, which struck a freighter amidships after 52 seconds. A fourth torpedo fired one minute later struck another freighter amidships, which exploded.
At 22.59 hours, a fifth torpedo was fired and struck after 1 minute a ship, which immediately sank. A sixth torpedo fired at 23.01 hours hit a freighter after 1 minute 30 seconds, but the sinking could not be observed. Henke claimed five ships of 31.000 tons sunk and another of 6000 tons probably sunk. However, only four ships were hit and sunk, the Corabella, Bandar Shahpour, Kota Tjandi and Nagina.
Two crew members from the Nagina (Master Walter Bird) were lost. The master, 100 crew members and ten gunners were picked up by the British A/S trawler HMS Birdlip (T 218) (Lt E.N. Groom) and landed at Freetown.
By Nagina (British Steam merchant) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net
