Silesia
Swedish Steam merchant
Silesia under her former name Nell. Photo courtesy of Danish Maritime Museum, Elsinore
| Name | Silesia | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 1,839 tons | ||
| Completed | 1923 - John Crown & Sons, Monkwearmouth, Sunderland | ||
| Owner | Rederi-A/B Sylvia (Albert Billner), Gothenburg | ||
| Homeport | Gothenburg | ||
| Date of attack | 25 Sep 1939 | Nationality:  Swedish | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-36 (Wilhelm Fröhlich) | ||
| Position | 58° 27'N, 4° 48'E - Grid AN 3181 | ||
| Complement | 19 (0 dead and 19 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | |||
| Route | Gothenburg - Hull | ||
| Cargo | Wood and general cargo, including steel and iron pipes | ||
| History | Completed in April 1923 as British Sprightly for Hill Steam Shipping Co Ltd (Witherington & Everett), Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 1934 sold to Denmark and renamed Nell for A/S Rederi Albion (Axel Carl), Copenhagen. 1936 sold to Sweden and renamed Silesia for Rederi-A/B Sylvia (Albert Billner), Gothenburg. | ||
| Notes on event | At 05.55 hours on 25 Sep 1939 the Silesia was hit by one torpedo from U-36 and sank 45 miles west-northwest of Egerö Lighthouse, Norway. The ship had been stopped by the U-boat and Fröhlich came to the conclusion that she carried contraband after checking the papers of the ship. The crew was ordered to abandoned ship in two lifeboats, which were then taken in tow by the U-boat and released about 12 miles from the coast. The men in the boats were picked up after three hours by the Suecia and brought to the Egerö Lighthouse. One of the empty lifeboats would not be found until 21 December. | ||
| On board | We have details of 1 people who were on board. | ||
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