Bilderdijk
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| Name | Bilderdijk | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 6.856 tons | ||
| Completed | 1922 - C. van der Giessen & Zonen´s Scheepswerven NV, Krimpen | ||
| Owner | Nederlandsche-Amerikaansche Stoomvaart Mij NV, Rotterdam | ||
| Homeport | Rotterdam | ||
| Date of attack | 19 Oct, 1940 | Nationality:  Dutch | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-38 (Heinrich Liebe) | ||
| Position | 56.35N, 17.15W - Grid AL 0357 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 39 (0 dead and 39 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | HX-79 | ||
| Route | Baltimore - Liverpool | ||
| Cargo | 8640 tons of grain and general cargo | ||
| History | | ||
| Notes on loss | At 22.13 hours on 19 Oct, 1940, U-38 fired a torpedo at the convoy HX-79 and missed the intended target but hit a vessel behind it, the Matheran. At 22.19 hours, U-38 fired another torpedo, which struck the Bilderdijk. Liebe then prepared to attack the next ship in the column but had to evade U-47 (Prien), which had set its sights on the same ship, the Uganda and sank her with one torpedo at 22.27 hours. The master of the Bilderdijk observed the hit on the Matheran and had to evade to avoid a collision. Before the turn was completed, she was hit by the second torpedo from U-38. An inspection revealed that there was no hope of saving the vessel and the entire crew went into the lifeboats. They were picked up after 30 minutes by the HMS Jason (J 99) and landed at Methil five days later. | ||
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