Ships hit by U-boats


Onto

Finnish Steam merchant



Onto under her former name Papendrecht

NameOnto
Type:Steam merchant
Tonnage1,333 tons
Completed1918 - H. te Veldhuis, Papendrecht 
OwnerO/Y Finska Insjö A/B (Ernst Sohn), Helsinki 
HomeportHelsinki 
Date of attack23 Jan 1940Nationality:      Finnish
 
FateSunk by U-56 (Wilhelm Zahn)
Position52° 51'N, 2° 11'E - Grid AN 8177
Complement20 (0 dead and 20 survivors).
Convoy
RouteZeebrugge - Tyne 
CargoBallast 
History Completed in May 1918 as Dutch Papendrecht for Burgerhout & Zoon, Rotterdam, but after trials bought by NV Phs. van Ommeren´s Scheepvaartbedrijf, Rotterdam. 1924 sold to the UK and renamed Ailsa for Christian Salvesen & Co, Leith. 1936 sold to Denmark and renamed Reval for D/S Draco A/S (R. Fischer-Nielsen), Copenhagen. 1937 sold to Finland and renamed Onto for O/Y Finska Insjö A/B (Ernst Sohn), Helsinki. 
Notes on event

At 22.13 hours on 23 January 1940 the Onto (Master Ivar Ström) struck a mine laid on 8 January by U-56 and sank by the bow 2.7 miles 251° from Smith´s Knoll Light Vessel off Cross Sands. The crew quickly abandoned ship in two lifeboats: 14 occupants in one of them were rescued by a Greek steam merchant, while the master and five others were picked up from the other boat by HMS Auckland (L 61) (Cdr J.G. Hewitt, RN), which was escorting the nearby convoy FN-79. 

On boardWe have details of 2 people who were on board


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