SHIPS HIT NORWAY 39 - NORWEGIAN SHIPS CARGO LOST

Tonnage: 7,587 / 12,120 tons

Cargo: 11,400 tons of oil.

Route: Curaçao - Freetown

Sunk: 06 MAR 42 by U-505 in pos. 04º 47"N 14º 57"W.

12 Dead

24 Survivors

At 11.31 hours on 6 Mar, 1942, the unescorted Sydhav (Master Nils O. Helgesen) was hit on the starboard side by two torpedoes from U-505. The first struck in the engine room and the second a little foreward of it. The explosions destroyed the starboard lifeboat and caused the ship to sink rapidly by the stern.

The crew had no time to launch the port boat, jumped overboard and were pulled under with the suction. The master and ten crew members were lost, while the survivors rescued themselves on two rafts. They then spotted the U-boat about 250 metres away and heard that the Chinese messboy, who was clinging to debris in the water, was questioned, then the Germans left without having approached the rafts.

Later the survivors were able to bail the capsized port lifeboat and picked up the messboy, but he died from his injuries shortly thereafter. After an unsuccessful search for other survivors the survivors headed north and were picked up by HMS Kelt (FY 112 shortly after midnight on 7 March and taken to Freetown.

By Sydhav (Norwegian Motor tanker) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net