Posted by Axel van Eesbeeck gemyala@netcologne.de on May 03, 2001.

Hallo
The small dutch ship Pelikaan was used in the beginning of 1942 as an auxiliary patrol vessel
Has anybody more information on this ship ?

Suchona was a british ? Ship and sunk by aircraft in convoy PQ-18 on 13.09.1942.
Has anybody more information on this ship ?

Thanks in advance
Axel

RESPONSES:

Posted by Roger W Jordan rogwj@aol.com on May 04, 2001.

The Netherlands motor vessel PELIKAAN, 179 grt, 108 nrt, built by NV Scheepswerf Delfzijl v/h Gebr Sander, Delfzijl,was sunk off Calais on 22 December 1941. I regret I do not have details of the circumstances of the loss.
Other particulars regarding the vessel are: owner - R Klein, Delfzijl; signal letters PGRV; engines 33 nhp; registered length 106.8 feet, breadth 20 feet, registered depth 7.4 feet.
The vessel was reported under German control from the time of the invasion of Holland, and it would appear to have been a total loss because after the war Mr Klein acquired the 1936-built motor coaster PRESTO and renamed this to PELIKAAN.
The steamer SUCHONA, usually referred to as SUKHONA, was owned by the Soviet Union and on Allied service at the time of her loss. She was built by Craig, Taylor & Co Ltd, Stockton (ship number 191), and completed in April 1918 as MAINDY DENE. She was later named LADY BRENDA and was acquired by the Soviet Union in 1934.
She was 3124 grt, 1819 nrt, 5020 dwt, registered length 325.1 feet, breadth 48.2 feet, registered depth 22.2 feet, draught 20.66 feet, had a triple expansion sengine of 294 nhp and a service speed of about 9 knots. Her signal letters were UPCW.
On 13 September 1942 she was attacked by torpedo aircraft of I/KG 26 and III/KG 26 and sunk NW of Bear Island in approximate position 76N 10E. The convoy was from Reykjavik to North Russia. She had originally come from Sunderland and Leith, with general cargo.
Roger W Jordan
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Posted by Axel van Eesbeeck on May 04.
Hallo Roger
Thank you for the (always helpful)information

The Pelikaan i'm searching was in the begining of 1942 in dutch east indies as a Gouvernementsmarine patrol vessel and was lost in March 1942.

Do you have information on a second ship called Pelikaan ?

Best regards
Axel
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Posted by Visje visje@tref.nl on May 04.
Hi Axel,

Are you sure about that name ? Went through all my sources on the Dutch navy, but I can't find any info regarding this vessel. Is it possible you're talking about the former submarinedepotship Pelikaan ? This ship was in the NEI, although she was discarded by 1933. The first Pelikaan was by the way mined on December 14 1941 as the German "NK 29" during
"Sonderunternehmung Veltjens".
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Posted by Axel van Eesbeeck on May 04.

Hi again

All information in my question came from the webside

[www.geocities.com]

I don't have more information

P.S.

Do you have more information on the "Sonderunternehmung Veltjens" ?

Axel
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Posted by Visje on May 04
Hi Axel,

I am one of the co-authors of that site, but I missed this one. There is one other possibility: the ship was converted for use in other duties (for example as lightship). The names become garbled up sometimes. For example, the "Lightship Balikpapan" was the former "Orion". I will look into it and mail my friend Klemen for an answer.

Visje

PS I'm afraid I don't know what sonderunternehmen Veltjens was. I found it in one of my sources.
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Posted by Axel van Eesbeeck on May 04.

Hallo Visje

Good work - your website. i like it. Please let me know when you get answer. Thank you

Axel
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Posted by Visje on May 07.
Hi y'all,

Might be a while, my friend is tied up in exams until July, but I hope he can squeeze out a reply in the meantime. Will ofcourse keep an eye out.

Found a Pelikaan in the Dutch gouvernementsmarine (Dutch civil navy, responsible for many government tasks in the Netherlands East Indies, such as surveying etc.), completed in 1892 by the Feyenoord Yard in Schiedam, Holland. I haven't been able to establish her fate, but I think she was still around in the early 1920's. It doesn't get much clearer than this....