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D/S Douro To Douro on the "Ships starting with D" page. Manager: E. B. Aaby, Oslo Built in Tønsberg in 1921. Previous name: Peik (possibly for Hans H. Torgersen & Co. A/S Tønsberg?). Captain: Bernhard Høgseth Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives: Please compare the above voyages with Arnold Hague's Voyage Record below.
(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database). Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each. Errors may exist, and as can be seen, this record is incomplete.
According to Page 1 of the archive documents, Douro was on her way from Rouen to Swansea when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940. As can be seen, A. Hague has included her in Convoy OG 41 from the U.K. to Gibraltar in Aug.-1940. The Norwegian Varegg is also listed in this convoy, which arrived Gibraltar on Sept. 2, having left Milford Haven on Aug. 18. Going back to the archive document mentioned above, we learn that Douro arrived Setubal (Portugal) on Aug. 31, proceeding to Oporto on Sept. 3. At the end of the following month we find her in Convoy OG 45. According to A. Hague's record, she arrived Setubal on Nov. 11, however, the archive document gives arrival Leixoes on Nov. 8. With pit props for Cardiff, she was scheduled to return to the U.K. in Convoy HG 47 from Gibraltar on Nov. 20, but instead joined the next convoy on Dec. 9, HG 48, and arrived Cardiff Dec. 25. The OG convoys mentioned here will be added to my Convoys section in due course, in the meantime, the ships sailing in them (and escorts) are named on the page listing ships in all OG convoys. Her 1941 voyages also start on Page 1 and continue on Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, and Page 6. The latter document also has some 1942 movements. There's a ship listed as Duro, scheduled for Convoy RU 11 from Reykjavik to the U.K. on Febr. 8-1942, bound for Scrabster with fresh fish. No tonnage is given for this ship, but I'm wondering if it might be a misspelling of Douro? Going to Page 6 and Page 7 of the archive documents, we find that she was indeed in Iceland around this date, later departing Reykjavik on Febr. 11, arriving Scrabster on the 14th. She may have made this voyage independently, as the next RU convoy does not match up with the dates, nor is she listed there (RU 12 left Reykjavik on Febr. 15).
Douro departed Reykjavik for Hull with 375 tons fish on ice on May 7-1942 (this date fits with the departure date for Convoy RU 22 - however, she's not included in that convoy, so may have sailed independently). On May 9 she was attacked by aircraft and was hit by 4 bombs amidships on the port side, behind the funnel, position 60 41N 12 58W. She sank in 2 minutes having broken off amidships. As the lifeboats were destroyed the survivors had to jump overboard. 10 eventually managed to get on two rafts, 8 on one and 2 on the other (the 2nd engineer and Able Seaman/Gunner Karlsen), and that afternoon they were spotted by a British aircraft which signalled to them that help would be summoned. A few hours thereafter the aircraft returned signalling that help was on its way and that evening the Icelandic trawler Gyllir (Captain Karl Jonsson) came to their assistance. They were taken to Reykjavik where 2 injured men received medical treatment. 7 had been killed on board, 3 drowned, including the captain. The 1st mate, who had spent about an hour(?) in the water before getting on a raft, stated at the maritime hearings that while still in the water he had approached a lifeboat with 2 men, namely Stoker Mauritz Johansen and Boatswain Theodor Kristiansen. He had strongly encouraged them to swim towards a raft which was drifting slowly about 100 meters away, because he considered the lifeboat in such a state that it was unsafe, but the 2 stayed where they were and were not seen again. The captain had been seen in the water by Gunner Kristiansen who at that time was holding on to the remnants of the motorboat, so he could not go to his aid. Gunner Kristiansen received Krigsmedaljen (the War Medal) for shooting down the enemy plane that day. It fell into the ocean about 500 meters from them. The maritime hearings were held in Reykjavik on May 16-1942 with the 1st mate, the 2nd mate and Able Seaman/Gunner P. Kristiansen appearing.
Related external link: Back to Douro on the "Ships starting with D" page. Here's some information on another Douro, built in 1948 (external link). 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. - ref. My sources.
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