D/S Fagerheim

To Fagerheim on the "Ships starting with F" page.

Crew List

The Memorial for Seamen in Stavern, Norway (link below) says she was on a voyage from Djidjelli, Algeria to Middelsbrough, when she exploded and broke in two, from either striking a mine or being hit by a torpedo in the Bay of Biscay. 5 men were rescued and taken to Vigo, Spain, 15 died. The date given for her sinking on this memorial is Jan. 16.

However, a visitor to my website, Juan Carlos Salgado (author and researcher of WW2 incidents related to Spain) has told me all his sources agree that Fagerheim was torpedoed by U 44 (KL Ludwig Mathes) 80 miles SW of Ouessant on the 14th. 5 survivors, including the captain, were picked up on Jan. 15 by the Greek m/v Iris bound for Naples, and landed in Vigo two days later.

A posting to my Ship Forum says "According to a 1940 French report comparing the effect of torpedoes on ships hit (that seem to be more powerful in the first months of 1940), the Fagerheim was cut in 3 parts when torpedoed. The after and foreparts sink at once while the middle part sank after 45 seconds" (posted by Laurent Rizzotti).

Yet another source (the Norwegian book "Leganger Hansen og -legatene" by Svein Asplin [1998], based on the Leganger Hansen archives; info received from U. W. Gustavsen, Norway), says 14 died, adding that in a telegram the owner received, the captain said (translated from Norwegian) "the vessel was mined or torpedoed 85 miles off the French Light near the inlet to the English Channel". The owner was so upset by the loss of his ship that he became ill.

A Swedish newspaper article, received from Jan-Olof Hendig, Sweden, states that the captain had both his legs broken, and that several of the survivors were injured, adding that all 5 were taken to a hospital.

Crew List:
What follows is based on info received from Juan Carlos Salgado, as well as info found at Stavern Memorial

Related external links:
Stavern Commemorations - Norwegians only are commemorated at the this memorial. Engineer Olaf Bergh is also commemorated; he had died at Bordeaux on Dec. 19-1939, and is also commemorated on another memorial at Vallø church in Norway, which says he stepped off the quay because of the black out and drowned (scroll down on that page to "Falne fra Sem og Slagen under 2. verdenskrig" for a list of others who are commemorated on the Vallø memorial - the text is in Norwegian).

Operations Information for U-44

U-44

Back to Fagerheim on the "Ships starting with F" page.

Haugesund had a ship by this name after the war, built 1951 and delivered as Dutch Gert Bodewes. Became Norwegian Fagerheim in 1959, Innvær in 1966, Brivær in 1974, Panamanian Silvi in 1975, Agios Elefterios of Piræus in 1976, Manolis Z 1987 and Limnos III 1992. I have more on this ship if needed. ("Våre Motorskip", Leif M. Bjørkelund and E. H. Kongshavn).

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Axis Submarine Successes of World War II", Jürgen Rohwer, and misc. as stated in above text - (ref. My sources).