Gundersen

Photo courtesy of Sverre Johansen
| Name | Gundersen | ||
| Type: | Motor merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 1,841 tons | ||
| Completed | 1927 - A/B Götaverken, Gothenburg | ||
| Owner | Christian Gundersen & Co, Oslo | ||
| Homeport | Oslo | ||
| Date of attack | 2 Jul 1942 | Nationality: | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-129 (Hans-Ludwig Witt) | ||
| Position | 23.33N, 92.35W - Grid DL 4146 - See location on a map - | ||
| Complement | 23 (1 dead and 25 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Tela, Honduras (29 Jun) - Galveston | ||
| Cargo | 16.255 banana stems | ||
| History | Completed in April 1927 | ||
| Notes on loss | At 06.17 hours on 2 Jul, 1942, the unescorted Gundersen (Master Bjarne Jørgensen) was hit on the port side at #2 hatch by one G7a torpedo from U-129 and immediately settled by the bow which was broke off by the explosion. The ship had been missed by a first G7a torpedo at 06.16 hours. The crew abandoned ship in three lifeboats but one of them was wrecked by the propeller. The U-boat surfaced after about 20 minutes and fired about 8 rounds from the deck gun and 100 rounds from the 37mm AA gun into the waterline. She caught fire and sank at 07.59 hours. One crewmen was lost. The survivors were questioned by the Germans and picked up later that morning by the Norwegian steam merchant Dea taken to Progreso, Mexico on 3 July. Aboard were also three passengers, crew members from Bushranger, which had been sunk by U-107 (Hessler) on 1 Jun, 1942. | ||
| More info | |||
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