D/S Tres - Page 2
Report of an interview with 1st Mate Ragnvald Marcus
(Received from Roger Griffiths - His source: Public Records Office, Kew)

To Tres - page 1 (w/picture & partial crew list).

"13th August, 1940

We were bound from Southend for Plymouth carrying a cargo of 1096 tons of coal. Our hull was black, superstructure grey and funnel black. We were flying the Norwegian ensign at the time of the attack and were armed with 4 Lewis guns, 1 Holman Projector, 2 rifles and 1 rocket revolver. All confidential books were in the chart room which was hit by a bomb, and presumably burned. The crew numbered 15, including the Master and 3 Naval Gunners. Five were injured, and the cook has since died from wounds.

We left Southend in Convoy on the 7th August, and proceeded without incident until 0215 on the 8th August, when we were off Newhaven. We were zig-zagging and travelling at a speed of 7 knots. The sea was smooth and visibility good. We heard the sound of planes but could not ascertain their position because it was too dark. They commenced to drop flares which seemed to indicate that we were surrounded, and then they released their bombs. I do not know from what height they dived but they came down to within 200 ft. of the vessel, dropped bombs, and then flew away again. There were no direct hits and no near misses.

At the commencement of the attack we had put our engines to "Slow" and then on "Stop".

After the raiders had gone we started up again, and at 0415, when we were still off Newhaven we were again attacked, but the enemy did not score any direct hits although the bombs dropped sufficiently near to shake the ship.

We proceeded on our course and nothing untoward happened until we were off Portsmouth. We were steaming at 7 1/2 knots; The sea was still smooth and visibility good.

At 1225 a flight of enemy bombers attacked the convoy and bombing tactics commenced. Three planes approached our ship from the port quarter, diving at an angle of 15° to a height of about 200 to 300 ft., released their bombs, and then as they were coming out of their dive they machine gunned us from the rear. The first plane registered a direct hit on the starboard side of the bridge immediately setting fire to the Chart Room. The second bomb dropped abaft the bridge slightly to port. There was a loud explosion and a flame shot up. The other two direct hits dropped one on the for'ard of the bridge on the port side, and one on the for'ard of the bridge on the starboard side. Fires started in both. In addition there were three near misses, two on the port side amidships and one on the starboard bow. They seemed to explode immediately on hitting the water and water splashed up to a height of about 30 ft.

Throughout the attack our guns had been in action, and the Naval Gunners had operated them very efficiently, and had escaped without injury. They scored a direct hit on one of the planes and brought it down. Although I did not see it come down it is confirmed by the crew including the 2nd Mate and 2nd Engineer.

By this time No. 1 and No. 2 hatches were burning fiercely, and there was also a big blaze amidships. We abandoned the vessel, 8 of the crew leaving in the port boat and 10 leaving in the starboard boat. Both boats managed to take off quite safely and we drew some distance away from the ship over on the starboard side, where we watched her burning until a small tug boat picked us up. She put us aboard a Belgian vessel which landed us at Portsmouth at 6 p.m. on the 8th august.

I did not see my vessel sink."

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