SHIPS HIT NETHERLANDS 30 - DUTCH SHIPS LOST/DAMAGED/CAPTURED
14)KOTA TJANDI U-515
Photo. www.photoship.co.uk
Built 1930
Tonnage 7,295 / 9,615 tons
Cargo: 7,453 tons of cargo being 5,000 tons of potash, 1,000 tons of tin, rubber waste and some general cargo.
Route: Haifa - Capetown - Takoradi - Freetown - UK
Sunk 30 APR 43 by U-515 in pos. 07º 15’N 13º 49’W.
6 Dead
93 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. The third officer Aarts and five crew members from the Kota Tjandi (Master K.S. Tendijck) were lost.
By Kota Tjandi (Dutch Motor merchant) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net
