Nordal

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: 1939Sunk: June 25, 1942
Type of Vessel:  Steam MerchantOwner: Viking Corp (Johan Rasmussen & Co.), Panama
Builder: Fredriksstad Mekaniske Verksted A/S, FredikstadPower: 
Port of registry: PanamaDimensions: 
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

Surviving Crew Members:

A partial listing of surviving crew members.

LastFirstPositionDOBHomeAge
 AasHans Martin AndersenBoatswainDec. 13, 1897Teie, Tønsberg 44
*AndersenJohan AugustStewardJune 13, 1898Nøtterøy44
AndreassenTrygveAble SeamanJune 20, 1921Midthassel near Farsund21
AndresenAnker AkselAble SeamanMay 31, 1910Oslo32
DidriksenHans KristianFiremanOct. 29, 1907Børingshavn, Hvaler34
HafstadMariusDonkeymanFeb. 17, 1887Brooklyn, NY55
HansenHans KristofferMaster/CaptainJune 1, 1901 41
**HansenJørgenChief EngineerOct. 22, 1892Sandar49
HeggemsnesBirgerAble SeamanJan. 2, 1916Bremsnes, Kristiansund26
***JohansenWillieChief Officer/Radio OperatorSept. 30, 1908Sandøystrand, Brevik33
SvendsenOlafAble 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.