Ships hit by U-boats


Svein Jarl

Norwegian Steam merchant



The photo shows Einar Jarl, a sistership of Svein Jarl. Photo Courtesy of Library of Contemporary History, Stuttgart

NameSvein Jarl
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage1,908 tons
Completed1919 - Trondhjems Mekaniske Verksted, Trondheim 
OwnerDet Nordenfjeldske A/S, Trondheim 
HomeportTrondheim 
Date of attack24 Feb 1941Nationality:      Norwegian
 
FateSunk by U-95 (Gerd Schreiber)
Position59° 30'N, 21° 00'W - Grid AL 2362
Complement22 (22 dead - no survivors)
ConvoyOB-288 (dispersed)
RouteMethil (13 Feb) - Oban (19 Feb) - Halifax 
CargoBallast 
History

Completed in December 1919. On 18 Aug 1940, the Svein Jarl was bombed and damaged by a German aircraft west of Bloody Foreland and later repaired at Londonderry. Two men were injured in the attack and transferred to a British destroyer the next day for medical treatment.

 
Notes on event

At 00.27 hours on 24 Feb 1941, U-95 fired one torpedo at a ship from the dispersed convoy OB-288 and missed the intended target, but Schreiber thought that he hit another ship beyond. This is not confirmed from Allied reports. At 00.28 hours, the U-boat fired a second torpedo and observed a hit in the stern of a ship and its sinking. The victim was probably Svein Jarl (Master Martin Marsteen) which was reported missing after convoy had been dispersed. The master and 21 crew members were lost.

 
Revisions

November 2005 by Rainer Kolbicz:
Earlier this attack of U-95 was attributed with the sinking of Marslew, but most likely the victim was the Svein Jarl.

 
More infoMore on this vessel 
On boardWe have details of 22 people who were on board


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