D/S Dagny I

To Dagny I on the "Ships starting with D" page.

Survivors & Casualties List

Final Fate - 1941:

In the coal trade to Svalbard. Bombed by German aircraft on Aug. 9-1941, east of The Faroe Islands while attempting to get from Svalbard to Kirkwall. She had 74 people on board, 56 of whom were passengers who had flocked on board at Advent Bay before she departed on July 31, seeing an opportunity for passage to the U.K. From Bellsund the next day she was escorted by the Polish destroyer Garland, then by the time she reached Thorshavn on Aug. 8 the armed trawler Wastwater had taken over as escort (from Aug. 3?). She resumed the voyage the following day, Aug. 9, but was hit by 2 bombs, 1 in the engine room and 1 on the after deck. 2 engineers and the donkeyman on duty in the engine room were killed. "Nortraships flåte" has an extensive description of the scenes following the attack (the book's author, Jon Rustung Hegland was himself on board Dagny I at the time). The starboard boat was readied and quite a few people were in it when something went wrong with the launching so that everyone fell into the water, while the port boat was successfully lowered and filled to the rim with people. Some had to be left on board as there was no more room in the boat, but they were picked up a little over an hour later.

The bombing had taken the lives of 4 crew and two passengers, several were injured. Survivors were picked up by Wastwater* and landed in Thorshavn that afternoon, where 7 men were admitted to a hospital, among them the steward and the 1st mate who had been seriously injured. (They remained there when a British destroyer took the other 61 survivors to Scotland on Aug. 11). An attempt was made by men from the escorting Leicester City to extinguish the raging fire and save the ship, but the first attempt had to be abandoned. That evening the boilers exploded, and the fire subsided enough that another attempt could be made. By midnight the fire was under control and she was taken in tow towards land in order to be beached, but the next morning she capsized and sank. (Jan-Olof, Sweden has told me that "Lloyd's War Losses, Vol I British, Allied and Neutral Merchant Vessels Sunk or Destroyed by War Causes, 1989 reprint" gives the position as 61 40N 6 10W, cargo of coal and general).

*According to a document I've received from a visitor to my website, the Wastwater was identical to Tiern, which I've listed on my page for ships starting with T (follow this link to my page about the Kos whale catchers for the details in John Gibson's document).

Some background history:
After the Germans had attacked Russia in June-1941 conditions changed for the coal trade to and from Svalbard. Strategically Svalbard now came to play a more important role, and the passages could no longer be expected to be as safe as they had been previously, and soon the service to this area was cancelled. Norwegian and British authorities discussed what steps to take next (Russia had also been in contact with the British regarding the Svalbard question), and 2 operations were decided upon; firstly to dispatch 2 aircraft carriers for the purpose of attacking shipping between Kirkenes and Petsamo, and secondly to send a reconnaisance force to Svalbard, then this force would attack German, and German controlled, shipping on the coast of Finnmark. The Norwegian government was not notified of these operations. 2 British cruisers and 2 destroyers departed Scapa Flow heading for Svalbard on July 27. Phillip Vian was the leader of this expedition, and the Norwegian Navy Leutenant Ragnvald Tamber also came along (on board cruiser Nigeria), though did not know the extent of the plans until at sea. At the radio station on Kap Linné Tamber arranged for the meteorological observations to be sent out as usual. He was also told that there were no Germans on Svalbard and that only one of the coal ships was in port at the time, namely Dagny I, which they later encountered outward bound with a full cargo for Norway (July 31), and ordered her to return to Longyearbyen. (This is when the civilians flocked to her, hearing rumours of a possibility of passage to England. J. R. Hegland says they ran down to the water and used any boat they could find to get to Dagny I, while several disappointed hopefuls were still left standing on the beach. While this was going on, Captain Torkelsen of Dagny I was in a conference on board Nigeria, being informed about the plans).

When the British forces departed, Tamber, who had formally been appointed Military Governor of Svalbard (which gave him the authority to requisition the ships on Svalbard) stayed behind in order to see to it that all the regular radio traffic would continue as if nothing had happened, so that the Germans in Norway would not get suspiscious. While waiting for the British forces to return from their raid on the coast of Finnmark Tamber formally "seized" more coal ships as they arrived, D/S Munin on Aug. 4, then D/S Nandi and on Aug. 9 D/S Ingerto as well as some small vessels (seal catchers Agnes, Polaris, and Strømsnes). Their cargoes were discharged, and telegrams sent to Norway saying they had departed, but they of course stayed where they were. Finally, on Aug. 25 (the group on Svalbard had gotten quite nervous by then) the British forces returned, carrying with them an expedition corps, with the orders that Svalbard was to be evacuated, the coal mines destroyed and the supplies of coal burnt. Tamber was ordered to take the coal ships and their cargoes to Reykjavik, and departed Svalbard with 65 passengers and with cruiser Aurora and an armed trawler as escorts on Aug. 26, arriving Eydisfjord, Iceland safely on Sept. 1, Tamber on board Ingerto. By then Isbjørn had also arrived Svalbard, and was in turn sent to Iceland along with the other seal catchers. By Sept. 3 the evacuation of Svalbard was complete.

Survivors & Casualties:

Surviving Crew
Captain Olaf Sigfried Torkelsen	1st Mate Nils Monsen	2nd Mate Jacob Midbøe Halvorsen	Able Seaman Kolbjørn Mjaaseth	Able Seaman Per Helmers	Ordinary Seaman Jon R. Hegland*
Ordinary Seaman Peder Skrede	Jungman Frans Lilleskare	Deck Boy Bjarne Hansen	Stoker Gunvald Larsen	Stoker Ole Sira	Stoker Kåre Gustavsen
Steward Bertel Fondsvik	Mess Boy Kurt Håland
* This is the author of "Nortraships flåte".
Surviving Passengers
Radio Operator Asbjørn Pedersen	Miner Peder J. Furnes	Farmer Henning Lines	Miner Lars Bjørnsen	Miner Hemming Pedersen	Miner Rudolf A. Olsen
Miner Ole Olsen Nyvald	Miner Jakob Thomassen	Fisherman Thomas Thomassen	Labourer Jan Isaksen	Seaman Rolf Holmen	Electrician Torleif Hovdan
Seaman Oskar Grunnvoll	Labourer Almar Ingebrektsen	Labourer Hagerup Bertheussen	Labourer Harald Haraldsen	Office Worker Svein Paulsen	Atle Gresli
Labourer Georg Hågensen	Labourer Ivar Kvist	Labourer Rolf Rugås	Labourer Rolf Hojem	Labourer Arne Kristoffersen	Labourer Per Eidet
Electrician Tor Ås	Labourer Albert Hansen	Labourer Leiv Uglem	Electrician Kåre Karlsen	Labourer Hegge Petter Johan Karlsen	Labourer Bjarne P. Njerve
Labourer Adolf Meyer Hansen	Labourer Hartvig Moen	Labourer Julian Larsen	Labourer Ernst Hansen	Joiner Kristian Klausen	Labourer Anton N. Nilsen
Labourer Olaf B. Nilsen	Builder Johannes Jensen	Miner Nils Lamo	Labourer Laurits Johansen	Labourer Hans Nikolaisen	Seaman Knut Astad
Seaman Einar Jensen	Miner Arne Nilsen	Labourer Gunnar Knutsen	Seaman Bertram Arntsen	Seaman Harald Kræmer	Seaman Erling Olsen
Seaman Edgar Robertsen	Labourer Sverre Pettersen	Labourer Hans Jakobsen	Seaman Ernst Sandenes	Seaman Asbjørn Grunnvoll	Labourer Ragnar Falch
Casualties / Crew
† 1st Engineer Sverre Johnsen	† 2nd Engineer Trygve Reigstad	† Donkeyman Endre Sambo	† Cook Gunnar Årbø
Casualties / Passengers
† Miner Arvid Berntsen	† Mechanic Johannes Sandvik

The maritime hearings were held in London on Aug. 25-1941 with the captain, the 2nd mate, Jr. Ordinary Seaman Lilleskare (helmsman), Able Seaman Mjaaseth, Stoker Gustavsen and passenger Hegge Karlsen appearing.

Related external link:
Stavern Memorial commemorations - In addition to the 4 crew named above, Arvid Berntsen is also commemorated at this memorial for seamen in Stavern. The captain stated at the maritime hearings that they were 2 men short, and that 2 passengers, brought from Norway to Svalbard, acted as fireman and trimmer - Arvid Berntsen may have been one of them. He had been assisting the cook in the galley, which was completely blown up when the bomb hit.

Back to Dagny I on the "Ships starting with D" page.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Hjemmeflåten - Mellom venn og fiende", Lauritz Pettersen, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume I (Norwegian Maritime Museum) - ref. My sources.