Nordal. Courtesy of Bjørn Milde's Postcard Collection.
The Sinking of the Nordal:
The Nordal left from Calcutta and Bahria with its final destination to be Baltimore. Onboard were 6675 tons of manganese ore, burlap, gunny bales, hides, coffee, and actor seeds. On June 25, 1942, it was a part of a three-column convoy of ten ships about 75 miles east of Cape Lookout. At 1:16 AM and 1:20 AM German U-boat U-404 fired torpedoes at the convoy. During this attack, the Nordal was hit and sunk.
THE SHIP'S SPECIFICS:
| Built: 1939 | Sunk: June 25, 1942 |
| Type of Vessel: Steam Merchant | Owner: Viking Corp (Johan Rasmussen & Co.), Panama |
| Builder: Fredriksstad Mekaniske Verksted A/S, Fredikstad | Power: |
| Port of registry: Panama | Dimensions: |
| Previous Names: |
LOCATION OF THE SINKING:
Here is the location of the sinking: 34° 30'N, 75° 40'W
LOST CREW MEMBERS :
Total Lost: 0, Survivors: 32
| Last | First | Date of Death | Position | Home | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SURVIVING CREW MEMBERS:
A listing of the surviving crew:
| Last | First | Position | DOB | Home | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aas | Hans Martin Andersen | Boatswain | Dec. 13, 1897 | Teie, Tønsberg | 44 |
| *Andersen | Johan August | Steward | June 13, 1898 | Nøtterøy | 44 |
| Andreassen | Trygve | Able Seaman | June 20, 1921 | Midthassel near Farsund | 21 |
| Andresen | Anker Aksel | Able Seaman | May 31, 1910 | Oslo | 32 |
| Didriksen | Hans Kristian | Fireman | Oct. 29, 1907 | Børingshavn, Hvaler | 34 |
| Hafstad | Marius | Donkeyman | Feb. 17, 1887 | Brooklyn, NY | 55 |
| Hansen | Hans Kristoffer | Master/Captain | June 1, 1901 | 41 | |
| **Hansen | Jørgen | Chief Engineer | Oct. 22, 1892 | Sandar | 49 |
| Heggemsnes | Birger | Able Seaman | Jan. 2, 1916 | Bremsnes, Kristiansund | 26 |
| ***Johansen | Willie | Chief Officer/Radio Operator | Sept. 30, 1908 | Sandøystrand, Brevik | 33 |
| Svendsen | Olaf | Able Seaman |
*Died on March 20, 1943, as a Steward on the Norton when it was sunk by German U-boat U-516.
** He was a Second Engineer Officer on the Vestfold when it was sunk by German U-boat U-268 on Jan. 17, 1943.
*** Died on Oct. 28, 1942, as a passenger on the Kosmos II when it was sunk by German U-boat U-606. He was on his way to Dumbarton to be trained as a gunner by the Norweigan Navy.