Ships hit by U-boats


Primero

Norwegian Motor merchant



NamePrimero
Type:Motor merchant
Tonnage4,414 tons
Completed1925 - Burmeister & Wain’s Maskin & Skibsbyggeri A/S, Copenhagen 
OwnerS. Holter-Sørensen, Oslo 
HomeportOslo 
Date of attack25 Oct 1942Nationality:      Norwegian
 
FateSunk by U-67 (Günther Müller-Stöckheim)
Position13° 38'N, 53° 55'W - Grid EE 6847
Complement39 (2 dead and 37 survivors).
Convoy
RouteSuez - Aden - Capetown (1 Oct) - Port of Spain - New York 
Cargo1500 tons of salt as ballast 
History Completed in July 1925 as Primero for A/S Ivarans Rederi (I.A. Christensen), Oslo. 1928 renamed Sud Argentino for the same owner and 1930 renamed Primero
Notes on event

At 15.19 hours on 25 October 1942 the unescorted Primero (Master Hjalmar August Johansen) was hit by one of two torpedoes fired by U-67 east of Barbados. The torpedo struck on the starboard side in the engine room and killed two men on watch below. The crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats but stayed near the vessel. A first coup de grâce at 15.34 hours proved to be a dud, but the second at 15.57 hours hit in the forepart of the ship that developed a list but did not sink. When U-67 on periscope depth turned to get to the other side of the vessel, the depth was not hold and as she was back on periscope depth they steered towards the ship that was only about 250 meters away. Despite of diving and steering with hard rudder the U-boat collided slightly with the ship as they passed underneath her. The U-boat then had to steer away from the ship because the periscope was jammed and surfaced at 00.14 hours in some distance. The tower hatch could only be opened partially and they had to clear the bridge from bent parts with a cutting torch before they could return. At 01.52 hours on 26 October, a coup de grâce was fired that hit in the stern, broke the ship in two and caused her to sink.

About 19.00 hours, some of the crew had reboarded the Primero to assess the damage, but she had now a list of 40° and sank slowly by the stern, so the boats set sail for Trinidad. On 31 October, the survivors made landfall at Toco where the locals crowded around them, supplying the men with plenty of food and cigarettes before they were brought by bus to Port of Spain.

 
More infoMore on this vessel 
On boardWe have details of 39 people who were on board


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