Posted by François Lapère flapere@free.fr on July 13, 2001.

Has anyone got informations on the "Tindefjell", built in 1936 and ,commissioned by the Kriegsmarine,under the name "Sperrbrecher 74" ?

We believe it's a wreck we dive on in Dunkirk, althought we only have very few clues.

Thanks

RESPONSES:

Posted by peter pmk10@gmx.at on July 13.

Hi Francois!

SPERRBRECHER 174:
yard Nylands Verkst., Oslo
building number 327
building year 1936
1337 BRT
76,42x12,58x4,47 m
speed 11 kn
owner Olsen & Ugelstad, Oslo
armament in german service:
1 x 7,5 cm (polish), 1 x 3,7 cm , 4 x 2 cm
Norwegian steamfreighter TINDEFJELL, captured by the Germans in 1940, from 23.04.42 service as SPERRBRECHER 174 of 6. Sprbr.flottilla, sunk on 28.05.42, 05.50, west of tonne 11w near Dunkirk on 51°3N12°9E after several mineing hits, 1 dead

source: Gröner, Kriegsschiffe, vol. 3, p.277-279

Regards from Austria
Peter
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Posted by Roger W Jordan rogwj@aol.com on July 14.
Francois
The information provided by Peter from Groener, Volume 3, is about the most accurate that has been published anywhere with regard to the position of the loss.
To aid identification, what clues do you have already? Is there any trace of the vessel's engine? That could be useful with regard to identification.

Regards
Roger W Jordan
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Posted by Peter on July 14.

Concerning to Gröner the TINDEFJELL houses a 4-cylinder double compound machine with an exhaust steam turbine.

Peter
from Austria
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Posted by François on July 17.

As a matter of fact, the position doesn't seem to be correct. The position near the buoy n°11 is more likely relevant, althought buoys have changed since.

We believe that's a sperrbrecher, due to the general aspect of the ship, with a cable belt around it. There is an other one very similar a mile away (the Jason ?). We know that 2 SPERRBRECHER were sunk in Dunkirk.
Moreover, someone has read "1911 polte magdeburg sprirt" engraved on a shell of the wreck.

You may have a look to a really good web site made about the wrecks around Dunkirk: [dkepaves.free.fr].
See the "Fred" and the "Cargo"