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Owner: A/S Sevilla (controlled by Chr. Salvesen & Co., Gr. Britain). Built by Armstrong Whitworth & Co., Newcastle in 1900 as Strombus for Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co., London. Sold in 1921 to Cia Ballenera del Peru, Peru, same name. Later sold to Hvalf. A/S Africa, Tønsberg, converted to whale factory 1926 (1928?). Sold to A/S Sevilla in 1936. Captain: Hjalmar Nilsen Strombus was scheduled for the Bermuda portion of Convoy HX 57 in July-1940, but did not sail.
She was off Swansea correcting her compasses, about to depart for South Georgia, when a mine detonated aft on her starboard side on Oct. 26-1940, 51 33 48N 03 56 48W. She had a pilot on board at the time, and I get the impression her degaussing was turned on. The Germans had started to use a new type of mine in British waters around this time, the acoustic mine, which detonated on the sound impulse from the propellers of passing ships, but not sure if this was the type to blame in this case. The steam pipes started to leak in various places and water was reported in the engine room, so course was altered towards shore in order to beach the ship. The tug Victor came to her assistance about 10 minutes later and took her in tow towards a bank near Mumbles Head, but she went aground. Most of her crew members were taken ashore by HMT Silja, 2nd Engineer Monsen was injured and taken to a hospital. The pilot and 15 crew remained on board and shortly after midnight on the 27th, 2 tugs unsuccessfully attempted to tow her further in. At this time she was listing heavily to starboard. Those who had remained on board were then taken off by Victor, and landed in Swansea at dawn, except the captain and the 1st mate who reboarded Strombus and remained on board through the day. During a storm on Oct. 30 Strombus broke in two. The forepart drifted off, capsized and sank, while the afterpart was beached in 51 34 33N 03 58 21W. All 48 (34?) had survived. She was refloated in 1942, broken up at Briton Ferry. An inquiry was held in Leith on Febr. 12-1941 with the captain and the 1st mate attending. A visitor to my site has told me that “Men of the Mumbles Head” says that Mumbles Lifeboat went out after she had struck the mine, but was told casualties would remain aboard until the tugs arrived. He adds that "Shipwreck Index of the British Isles" says she carried patent fuel (a form of compressed coal dust), remains of wreck dispersed in 1977.
Related external link: Back to Strombus on the "Ships starting with S" page. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume II, Norwegian Maritime Museum, "The world's Merchant Fleets", R. W. Jordan - (ref. My sources).
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