Arendskerk
Photo courtesy of wivonet.nl
| Name | Arendskerk | ||
| Type: | Motor merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 7,906 tons | ||
| Completed | 1938 - F. Schichau GmbH, Elbing, Danzig | ||
| Owner | NV Vereenigde Nederlandsche Scheepvaart Mij, The Hague | ||
| Homeport | The Hague | ||
| Date of attack | 15 Jan 1940 | Nationality:  Dutch | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-44 (Ludwig Mathes) | ||
| Position | 46.55N, 06.34W - Grid BF 5414 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 65 (0 dead and 65 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Rotterdam - Antwerp (13 Jan) - Capetown - Durban | ||
| Cargo | 4000 tons of general cargo, including barb wire, galvanised sheets, nails, iron, brass tubes and mail | ||
| History | Completed in September 1938 | ||
| Notes on loss | At 07.05 hours on 15 Jan, 1940, the neutral Arendskerk (Master J.H. Wijker) was spotted by U-44 about 100 miles southwest of Quessant and tried to escape when the U-boat was sighted. It needed seven shots across her bow to stop the vessel. When the papers were checked it became clear that she carried contraband and the crew was ordered to abandon ship. At 10.10 hours, one torpedo struck in the engine room, breaking the ship in two. The after part sank, but the forepart remained afloat and had to be sunk 30 minutes later by 18 shells from the deck gun. The survivors were picked up by the Italian steam merchant Fedora, transferred to the Dutch motor merchant Poelau Bras and landed at Lisbon. | ||
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