D/S Nidardal - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Final Fate - 1941:

Nidardal had departed Sydney N. S. on Dec. 4-1941 with a cargo of sulphur for Manchester and took her place in Convoy SC 58 the following morning (she had been scheduled for the earlier convoys, SC 56 and SC 57). They soon ran into very thick fog which lasted for several days. On the 7th, a dull explosion was heard, as well as the fog signals from a ship sailing nearby a little behind her on her starboard side. Shortly afterwards they heard 2 depth charges being dropped very close by, causing her to shake violently (ref. * below). Around midnight on the night leading up to Dec. 12 the fog lifted, but they now ran into heavy rain and seas with increasing winds, and at that time the convoy was nowhere in sight. At 14:30 the chain to her steering mechanism broke; this was fixed in a couple of hours and she could continue. By Dec. 11 the weather had worsened, and they had to reduce their speed, while huge seas washed over her. That evening the winds decreased somewhat and she resumed her original course, but on the 13th she again experienced technical problems, this time of such a nature that they barely managed to keep the water out with the help of the pumps. In the early morning hours of Dec. 14, the chain broke again, so they had to stop the engine for a while in order to fix the problem, then proceeded at full speed a little over an hour later (at 02:15). The wind, which had calmed down somewhat the previous day, now increased to a full storm with heavy seas, and that afternoon the seas washing over her filled the port corner of the bridge and caused damages there while at the same time resulting in the electric wires malfunctioning so that they were partly without lights.

On Dec. 15 the pumps were no longer able to keep her afloat, so all hands were called on deck and everything was made ready for them to abandon ship if this should become necessary. After having discussed the situation they all agreed to wait as long as possible and see if the weather would improve. SOS was sent out, the engine stopped and heavy seas kept washing over her fore and after deck. Her holds, which had stayed dry, now started to show signs of leakage as the water gradually rose in the engine room, and she sank deeper and deeper. Valentia Radio received the distress call saying she was slowly sinking. Pictou (K 146), ordered at 16:00 on the 15th by the senior escort for SC 58 (HMCS St. Laurent) to go to Nidardal's assistance, arrived in the vicinity at about 03:30 on Dec. 16, arriving alongside Nidardal at 05:07, after having sent up a starshell which had been replied by a flare from her, enabling Pictou to locate her. Nidardal's crew were asked if they could manage to keep her afloat until dawn, which they did, with the corvette standing by (56 07N 21 00W). They all remained on board untill about 10:00, but by that time the water had risen in the after hold, with her after deck about a foot under water, and when heavy seas suddenly started to break over her, they finally decided to abandon ship. Both starboard lifeboats were successfully lowered, and about half an hour later they were all safely on board Pictou. By that time, Rose had also arrived, and the corvettes subsequently sent her to the bottom with gun fire and a depth charge (from Rose). Nidardal sank by the bow at 12:10, Dec. 16, whereupon Pictou proceeded to Reykjavik.

* Those on board Nidardal believed it was the depth charges they had heard on Dec. 7 that had caused all their subsequent problems.The commander of Pictou later told them that a corvette had sunk that day as a result of a collision, and this corvette, which was sailing quite close to Nidardal, had 60 depth charges on board which probably exploded as it sank. A quick search around Uboat. net's warship section reveals that the Canadian HMCS Windflower (K 155), one of the escorts of SC 58 was rammed and sunk by the Dutch freighter Zypenberg on Dec. 7 with the loss of 23 (ref. external link at the end of this text).

NOTE: According to Robert Cressman the destroyer Benson (DD-421) was dispatched from convoy HX 163 on Dec. 15 to search for "survivors" of Nidardal. At 02:41 on Dec. 16 Benson sighted a white distress rocket and altered course but found no trace of the missing ship or her crew in the bad weather, so the search was abandoned at nightfall whereupon Benson proceeded to Reykjavik. Cressman adds that the position in which Nidardal was reported to be sinking (56 07N 21 00W) was later amended to 56 07N 23 00W. See link to "Hyperwar" below.

The inquiry into the loss of Nidardal was held in Glasgow on Dec. 27-1941 with the captain, the 1st and 2nd mates, the 1st and 3rd engineers and the boatswain appearing.