Arcturus
Norwegian Steam merchant
Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart
| Name | Arcturus | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 1,277 tons | ||
| Completed | 1910 - A/S Bergens Mekaniske Verksteder, Bergen | ||
| Owner | Det Bergenske D/S A/S, Bergen | ||
| Homeport | Bergen | ||
| Date of attack | 1 Dec 1939 | Nationality:  Norwegian | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-31 (Johannes Habekost) | ||
| Position | Grid AN 4547 | ||
| Complement | 17 (9 dead and 8 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Burntisland - Trondheim | ||
| Cargo | General cargo, including tea, gas stoves, steel wire, cardboard folders and diaries, boots, shoes and machinery | ||
| History | Completed in December 1910 | ||
| Notes on loss | At 09.30 hours on 1 Dec, 1939, the unescorted and neutral Arcturus (Master Nicolai Ludvik Engene) was hit on the port side in the bow by one torpedo from U-31 and sank within three minutes east of Aberdeen. The master and eight crew members were lost. The U-boat had spotted the ship with lights set at 05.50 hours, but without visible national markings and missed with a first torpedo at 09.27 hours. Both lifeboats went down with the ship and the eight survivors rescued themselves on two rafts that floated free after she sank. They tied the rafts together and were spotted the next morning by a British aircraft which directed the Danish steam merchant Ivar to their location. The survivors were picked up and landed at Fredrikshavn, Denmark. | ||
| Revisions | August 1998 by R.N. Baird: The loss of Arcturus was earlier attributed to an attack of U-21, but the position of the wreck of Mercator and the time of her loss indicate that this was the vessel sunk by this U-boat. The attacker of Arcturus was U-31. | ||
| More info | |||
| Crewlists | We have listing of 9 people who were on this vessel | ||
Location of attack on Arcturus.
ship sunk.
* Estimated position shown here is based on positions of losses in a roughly the same German grid code. It may be a bit off but should give a good idea as to where the attack took place.
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