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Report on Bombing of D/S Victo
Crew:- 32 men including the master. At 23.15 o'clock the drone of an aeroplane was heard and saw two flares being dropped about 4 points on the starboard bow about 3 miles off. At about 23.30 the drone of an aeroplane was again heard, now increasing in volume, coming from land. The 2nd officer was sent over to the port side in order to give the look-out man a hand with the machine gun. The drone of the aeroplane greatly increased and the aeroplane could be seen to be heading across the vessel. Orders were given to fire and 3 P.A.C. rockets and a few rounds were fired with 2 Hotchkiss and Twin Merlin. At about the same time 3 heavy explosions were heard and steam and smoke poured out of the engine room and boiler room. The engine stopped and the electric light went out instantly. The wheel-house and upper bridge crashed down. Gave orders to man the boats and ran down and opened the doors to the boiler and engine rooms and shut the quick shutting valve. Both boats had now got clear of the ship's side and the boats were called together for the counting of the crew. (5 men missing). The starboard boat came alongside and A.B. Seaman Reinhot on board the ship again in order to accompany us into the engine room where we were unable to get down owing to steam. The vessel had a large fracture right across at the forward part of the boiler room which opened up to 4 feet, also a heavy list to port. The aeroplane still circled over the ship and dropped a couple of bombs some distance away on the port side. Rowed across to the s.s. "Lottinge" and told her to proceed as the starboard lifeboat would remain by the ship in order to see if anybody could be saved from the engine room. After which we rowed up alongside again where donkeyman Karlsen and fireman Andresen had managed to get up on deck and they were taken into the lifeboat and the chief engineer was hoisted up from the engine room in a very burnt condition. Searched round the vessel, but could not see anything of the other two. After which we rowed across to the s/s "Lottinge" where the 3 men from the engine room were hoisted on board. It was now about 0100 o'clock the 9/11 and we left the wreck at 0200 o'clock after having rowed round the after part of the ship, which was still afloat, in case it should be possible to see any sign of the two who were missing. Arrived in the Tyne at 11.00 o'clock the 9/11 where the three who were burnt and ordinary seaman H. Didriksen were taken to hospital for treatment. On watch on deck:- Newcastle on Tyne, the 12th Novebmer 1941. From the enquiry report: Appeared Master Mariner Guttorm Jakobsen - The vessel's deck and engine room log books were lost in consequence of the loss of the ship, but the master produced a written report about the casualty. The master referred to his report. The master was on the bridge on the starboard side by the machine gun. Watch was kept at all the machine guns. The vessel was in completely seaworthy condition and all lifesaving equipment in complete order. The lowering of the boats were carried out quickly and smoothly. The aeroplane was fired at with the three machine guns, but the attack was made so quickly that we cannot say whether the aeroplane was hit. There is also the possibility of the P.A.X. rockets having hit the aeroplane as they were fired at the right moment. The bombs struck the vessel in this order:- the first at the waterline on the port side, the second appeared to have passed through the No. 3 hatch and exploded in the bottom, the third fell in the water on the starboard side. When the master got on his feet again, after falling, he opened the doors to the fiddley and the boiler top at the same time as he shut the quick shutting valve. He then ran to the engine room and opened the doors to the engine room. Superheated steam poured out. After having rowed up alongside the vessel with the starboard lifeboat, the master, boatswain Haveland and 3rd engineer Johannes Hansen went down into the engine room and got chief engineer Sverre Pedersen hoisted up in a badly burnt condition. We did not see anything of the two missing. The master is of the opinion that they must have been in the boiler room when the explosion occurred and must have been killed instantly. Appeared as 1st witness, Peder Alfred Morris Haraldsen, 2nd officer ont he s/s "Victo". He was on watch on the bridge when the vessel was attacked by an aeroplane at about 11.30 on Saturday evening. The witness had heard the drone of an aeroplane and had taken up his position at the machine gun on the port side. As soon as he saw the aeroplane coming out of the darkness he fired. It was impossible to say whether the shots hit the aeroplane. The witness then heard 3 explosions, one just after the other. The vessel shook so violently that the witness fell down on the bridge deck. When the witness got up again he saw steam and smoke rising up. After having obtained his lifesaving jacket from his cabin the witness ran to his lifeboat and supervised the lowering of it. It was moonlight, slightly hazy, some sea. The lowering of the vessel's lifeboats was carried out quite satisfactorily. The witness did not see anything of the two missing men. When they left the place of the casualty, at about two to three o'clock in the morning, only the after part of the ship was afloat. Appeared as 2nd witness, Øivind Reinholdt Jenssen, A.B. Seaman on the s/s "Victo" of Oslo. The witness was on watch on the bridge as look-out man Saturday evening the 8th November at 11.30 o'clock; some minutes earlier he had heard the drone of an aeroplane, but was not certain whether it was an enemy or allied aeroplane. The officer on watch was informed. The latter took over the machine gun. A moment afterwards the aeroplane came back and the witness could now see it. It was coming in from the port side with course across the vessel. The witness then heard 3 explosions. He was of opinion that the bombs must have struck the vessel at the after part of the saloon house, but cannot make any definite statement about this. The witness ran to the boat deck and assisted in getting the boats into the water. They now went into the boats, but the witness was among those who later came back to the ship in the starboard boat. He then saw a large fracture in the ship's side and in the deck on the port side. During this first visist on board they could not get down in the engine room owing to steam. They searched round about the vessel, but could not find any of those missing. They then rowed across to the vessel which was standing by in order to inform her that she could continue the voyage as they were in agreement with the master that they could row ashore later after having waited awhile. During this a light was seen from the after deck of the s.s. "Victo". They again returned to the s.s. "Victo" and saved the chief engieneer, the donkeyman and fireman Otto Andresen. Subsequently the witness saw the vessel broke in two and the forward part of the ship go down. Appeared as 3rd witness, Marner Hansen, carpenter on the s.s. "Victo" of Oslo. Saturday evening, the 8th November 1941. at about 11 o'clock, the witness was on watch at the bomb thrower on the poop. While so employed the witness heard an aeroplane which came in from the starboard side. Soon after it came again, this time from the port side. Three bombs were dropped on the vessel. They exploded instantly. Coal and soot were thrown into the aeir and thereafter steam. The witness ran to the boat deck and took part in the lowering of the port lifeboat.
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