SHIPS SUNK WITH PLANES IN THEIR DECKS - PRECIOUS CARGO LOST
27)WELLPARK (RAIDER THOR)
Photo. www.photoship.co.uk
Built: 1938
Tonnage: 4,649 / 8,640 tons
Cargo: aircraft parts and military vehicles
Route: USA - Alexandria
Sunk 28/03/42 by Raider Thor on pos. 25º 00”S 10º 00”W
7 Dead
41 POW
At 2 PM in the Atlantic, 500 miles Southwest of St Helena, German armed merchant cruiser Thor uses machinegun fire from her Arado seaplane and 6 inch shellfire to stop British freighter SS Wellpark (carrying aircraft parts and military vehicles from USA to British troops in Egypt). SS Wellpark is scuttled with demolition charges (7 killed, 41 survivors taken prisoner by Thor).
Thor chased freighter Wellpark for seven hours. Gumprich sent his seaplane to strafe the freighter, but was driven off when Thor opened fire on Wellpark. Within 15 minutes, the Wellpark's crew abandoned ship, and she was sunk.
By https://www.bismarck-class.dk/hilfskreuzer/thor.html
