Ships hit by U-boats


Rydboholm

Swedish Motor merchant



Photo courtesy of Sjöhistoriska Museet, Stockholm

NameRydboholm
Type:Motor merchant
Tonnage3,197 tons
Completed1933 - A/B Götaverken, Gothenburg 
OwnerA/B Svenska Amerika-Mexiko Linien, Gothenburg 
HomeportGothenburg 
Date of attack26 Feb 1941Nationality:      Swedish
 
FateSunk by U-47 (Günther Prien)
Position55° 32'N, 14° 24'W - Grid AM 4236
Complement28 (0 dead and 28 survivors).
ConvoyOB-290
RouteGarston - Liverpool (1 Feb) - Freetown 
CargoBallast 
History Completed in October 1933. On 5 Jan 1941, the Dutch steam merchant Soemba (6718 grt) was en route from Halifax to Tees with a cargo of steel, when she capsized after the cargo shifted and sank about 300 miles southeast of Cape Race. 34 of her crew were lost and 24 survivors were picked up by Rydboholm
Notes on event

In the early morning on 26 Feb 1941, U-47 attacked convoy OB-290 and reported four ships of 22,000 grt sunk. In fact, the Kasongo, Rydboholm and Borgland were sunk and the Diala was damaged.

At 02.10 hours, the Rydboholm (Master B. Ryberg) in station #14 was hit on the port side in the bow by one torpedo. She settled slowly by the head until her propeller was above the water while the 26 crew members and two passengers abandoned ship in the lifeboats. The survivors reboarded the vessel when she was still afloat in the morning, but abandoned her again because the wind increased and the weather worsened. Rydboholm eventually foundered in 55°48N/14°25W. The survivors were picked up by HMS Pimpernel (K 71) (Lt F.H. Thornton, RNR) and taken to Britain.

 
Revisions "Lloyds War Losses" mentions that the damaged Rydboholm was bombed and sunk by German Fw200 aircraft later that day, but this is not confirmed by Swedish sources. 
On boardWe have details of 2 people who were on board


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