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M/S Berganger To Berganger on the "Ships starting with B" page.
Manager: Westfal-Larsen & Co., Bergen Delivered in Aug.-1932 from Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Mij., Amsterdam. Captain: Alm Normann Nymann. Her war voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Berganger left Santos on May 16 bound for Boston and New York with a cargo of 48 000 bags of coffee, 1000 bales of linters and 1138 liters sunflower seed oil and hides (5320 tons had been loaded in Buenos Aires and 3623 tons in Santos). Unbeknownst to them U-213 had fired 5 torpedoes at them which all missed during the night leading up to the events of June 2, when she at 14:30 was hit by a torpedo from U-578 (Rehwinkel) on the port side amidships (between the engine room and No. 3 hold), off New York in 39 24N 69 50W, about 130 miles south/southeast of Block Island. She listed heavily to port while at the same time swinging in that direction. The port motorboat amidships was destroyed. The engine stopped and lights went out. The 2nd and 3rd mates were on duty on the bridge, while the captain was in his cabin, but he immediately joined the others on the bridge. An attempt was made to bring her back on course, while also sending out SOS on the emergency radio (5-6 were sent, later reported to have been received by several vessels). From the engine room they were told that it was full of water. After a few minutes the captain spotted the U-boat coming up on the port side and ordered the gunners to fire. Gunner Johan Vidnes says in a report that he and O. Brevik sent off 2 shots, but they missed. The boat submerged, whereupon the gunners fired another 4 shots where it had last been seen. Berganger was sinking rapidly and orders were given to take to the boats. The 2nd mate dumped the secret documents overboard. Able Seaman Vingen got the 3 rafts on the water before he went to the starboard amidships lifeboat. When the aft starboard boat was launched it filled with water, tore itslef loose and came adrift, but 2 of the deck crew jumped overboard, swam to the boat and proceeded to bail it, while the remaining survivors were distributed in the starboard midships boat and the aft port boat. 21 men had just managed to get in the latter lifeboat and were only a few meters away from the ship when a 2nd torpedo hit in No. 2 hold, port side (about 18 minutes after the first), the explosion causing them to be thrown helter skelter into the sea when the lifeboat was flung across the water from the explosion. They managed to swim back to it and were hanging on to its side while 4 climbed into it to start bailing when the U-boat came up to ask the usual questions, then took a number of photographs of them before disappearing (this is not mentioned at all in the maritime statements). The port boat proved to be too damaged to be used. The starboard boat went over to the boat that still had only the 2 men in it and transferred some men over to it so that it could row back to the scene and pick up some of the survivors from the damaged boat. It took them 2 hours to get back. They then distributed themselves with 17 in the boat and 13 on 3 rafts, with the damaged boat tied to them. The 2 usable lifeboats then set sail and headed for land to get help for the 13 left behind. Berganger, meanwhile, capsized and sank. On June 4 the 17 survivors in the 2nd mate's boat were picked up by the Norwegian M/S Bañaderos and landed in New York the next day. The 13 (including the 1st mate) were rescued by the destroyer USS Madison (also June 4) and landed in Norfolk on the 6th, while the survivors in the captain's boat were picked up by the American fishing vessel Mary J. Landry 14 miles off Block Island in the evening of June 4 and landed at New Bedford, Mass. on the 5th. By June 8 they were all reunited in New York, where the hearings were held on June 11-1942. The captain, the 2nd and 3rd mates, the radio operator, the lookout, (Able Seaman Vingen), and the helmsman (Ordinary Seaman Steffensen) appeared.
Crew List:
*Ole Vernøy was also on board Siranger when she was sunk. Later joined Narvik. His brother served on Varanger.
* I believe this able seaman must have joined Hindanger, and was on board when that ship was sunk in Sept. that same year. It may not be the same man, but it's such an unusual first name that I think it could be. See the crew list for Hindanger. According to a report presented at the maritime hearings she had a crew of 44 as well as 3 passengers from Santos for Boston. Perhaps the passengers had already been landed in Boston? Related external links: U-578 Lillesand Sjømannsforening's website (Lillesand Seamen's Association) has another picture of this ship, along with pictures of several other Norwegian ships. To Berganger on the "Ships starting with B" page. Other ships by this name: Westfal-Larsen later had another Berganger, delivered from Kockums, Malmö in March-1950, 8051 gt. Sold in Jan.-1969 and renamed Shansi (China Nav. Co. Ltd., London). Became Panamanian Yat Lee in 1977. Sold to Canton in 1981, broken up in China in 1982. See also a posting to my Guestbook re this ship. The company's 3rd Berganger was delivered in Oct.-1974, built in Japan, 35 575 gt. Sold in Sept.-1977 to A/S Kosmos, Sandefjord, renamed Jarilla. A 4th Berganger (chemical tanker) was delivered in Nov.-1980, built in Sarpsborg, Norway, 19 882 gt. This ship sailed as Bow Lancer for Skibs-A/S Storli, Bergen from 1990, and has since had various owners and managers (majority of this info from company fleet list). The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume I (Norwegian Maritime Museum), and misc. others for cross checking info. - ref My sources.
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