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D/S Brask To Brask on the "Ships starting with B" page.
Owner: A/S Brask Built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd., Sunderland in 1911. Captain: Gustav Røkenes Related item on this website:
(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database). Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each. Also, click on link to this original image received from the National Archives of Norway.
Towards the end of March-1940, Brask, with a cargo of ore for Workington, is mentioned in the Advance Sailing Telegram for Convoy HN 22 from Norway to the U.K., however, it looks like this AST covers ships in Convoy HN 23A as well, and this is the convoy she actually sailed in (left Norway on March 30). According to Arnold Hague, she arrived her destination independently on Apr. 4, having detached from the convoy on Apr. 2. The following month she's listed in Convoy OG 29. This convoy will be added to my Convoys section; in the meantime, the ships sailing in it are named on the page listing ships in all OG convoys. Brask had started out from the U.K. on May 11-1940, joining Convoy OB 145, which joined up with Convoy OA 145 on May 12, the combined convoy forming the Gibraltar bound OG convoy. Her destination is given as Alexandria, cargo of coal, but as can be seen, there's no mention of her arriving Alexandria in the Voyage Record. She's said to have headed to Bizerta from Gibraltar, subsequently on to France at the end of May, then back to Gibraltar again in June. She returned to the U.K. with Convoy HG 35, bound for Middlesbrough in station 62 of the convoy, which left Gibraltar on June 21. The only other Norwegian ship was Atle Jarl. In Aug.-1940 we find her, together with the Norwegian Alaska, Bur, Einvik, Mosli, and Veni, in Convoy OB 202, which originated in Liverpool on Aug. 22 and dispersed on the 26, Brask arriving Wabana independently on Sept. 3. She returned to the U.K. later that month with the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 4, which had a large number of Norwegian ships, as will be seen when following the link. Brask was bound for Cardiff with a cargo of iron ore, and appears to have been cancelled from the faster Convoy HX 72, in which Simla and several others were sunk. Brask later headed to Wabana again with Convoy OB 228, which originated in Liverpool on Oct. 13-1940 and dispersed on the 17th, Brask arriving Wabana independently on Oct. 26. Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were Astra, Chr. Knudsen, Dokka (sunk, follow link for details), Gudrun, Noreg, Polyana and Topdalsfjord. - ref. external link provided within the above table for more on the OB convoys mentioned here. Brask, again with a cargo of iron ore, subsequently returned to the U.K. in Convoy SC 11, in which Bruse and Salonica were sunk, among others. This convoy left Sydney, C.B. on Nov. 9-1940. At the external link below she's listed as bound for St. John's, N.F. in ballast in Convoy OB 264, which left Liverpool on Christmas Eve and dispersed on the 29th. However, she must have cancelled, or returned to port, because when she was sunk shortly thereafter (see next paragraph), she had been part of Convoy OB 272, originating in Liverpool on Jan. 10-1941, dispersed on the 15th. For more information on all the other Norwegian ships named here, please see the alphabet index at the end of this page, or go to the Master Ship Index. Related external link:
Torpedoed on a voyage in ballast from Gourock to Durban in Convoy OB 272, having departed Oban on Jan. 10-1941 (see link provided within the table above - this convoy also included the Norwegian Don, Ferncastle, Gezina, Kongsgaard, Marita, Ravnefjell and Victo). The Convoy was dispersed in the evening of Jan. 15, with the ships continuing in individual groups to their various destinations. Brask headed south together with the Greek Nemea, but both ships were torpedoed that same evening by the Italian submarine Luigi Torelli (Longobardo), Brask in position 52 45N 23 59W*. She was struck on the port side near No. 2 hatch, resulting in the entire forepart being torn up, and she sank in 3 minutes.
The lifeboats were freed but there was no time to put them on the water so everyone jumped overboard, then clung to misc. debris as well as one of the rafts that had floated free. 9 men had come across the capsized starboard boat and climbed up on its keel. It was later righted, and others were picked up from the water, until there were 20 men in all in the boat. After having gotten in the lifeboat Brask's survivors saw a spot against the horizon. They maneuvered towards it, thinking it might be one of the rafts with more survivors, but as they got closer it turned out to be the abandoned Nemea. They boarded her, but fearing that the ship might be attacked again they soon returned to the boat (this was about midnight on Jan. 15). At dawn on the 16th they again boarded the Greek ship where they found dry clothes and some food, while the radio operator was sent to the radio station and was able to get the radio in order. In the meantime, a lifeboat carrying about 18 Greek survivors also came alongside. Some of them came on board, among them the 1st mate and 2 radio operators who sent out an SOS that was received by Valentia Radio, so the men from Brask decided to remain on the Greek vessel. They managed to get the engine going then hoisted both lifeboats on board. The Greeks insisted on trying to reach the Azores, while the others wanted to head for Ireland, but they set course for the Azores for about an hour. However, due to the wind being against them it was agreed that afternoon to head towards Ireland. Fearing that the ship might be attacked in the course of the night, the engine was stopped that evening, whereupon they went back to the lifeboats again, tied to the ship with a long line. Early the next morning, Jan. 17 they saw rockets in the horizon and responded with their own rockets and flares. Before dawn they reboarded the Greek ship, then sent up 2 large rockets, seen by 2 British destroyers which came to. The shipwrecked men offered to remain on Nemea and take her to port, escorted by the destroyers, but due to lack of fuel this was not considered a good idea, so at 09:00 on Jan. 17 they were all transferred to HMS Highlander which landed them in Londonderry in the morning of Jan. 20. The following morning they continued to Glasgow with arrival Jan. 22. The maritime enquiry was held in Glasgow on Febr. 11-1941 with the 1st mate, the 2nd mate, and Able Seaman K. Berge (helmsman) appearing.
Related external links: Luigi Torelli Back to Brask on the "Ships starting with B" page. 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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