NAVY DEPARTMENT |
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OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS |
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WASHINGTON 25 D.C. |
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25 April 1944 |
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MEMORANDUM FOR FILES |
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ALL TIMES GCT |
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| Subject: Summary of Statements by Survivors of SS JOHN HOLT, British Freighter, 4964 G.T., owned and operated by John Holt & Co., Liverpool, Ltd. | ||
| 1. The SS JOHN HOLT was torpedoed at 2113, 5 mar 44, in 03.56N - 07.36E, while enroute independently from Lagos, Nigeria, to Douala, French Cameroons, with a cargo of 2600 tons cement and 100 tons general goods. Ship settled by the head and sank perpendicularly at 2117. | ||
| 2. Ship was on course 0900 mean, having altered course from 0800 at 2000, speed 12 knots, zizgagging on pattern #8, having altered from #21 at 2100. At 2100 ship was 250 to starboard of main course. At 2104 a 500 turn was made to port and at 2112 a 250 turn was made to starboard, bringing the ship on to main course. Sea was calm, sky clear with moonlight. No other ships in sight. | ||
| 3. At 0900, 5 March, what may have been a track or tide rip was seen abeam to southward at a distance of about one mile. At 2113 a torpedo struck starboard side forward in the vicinity of the forepeak. No. 1 and No. 2 hatch covers blown off and a crack at least 3" wide appeared, running athwartships between #1 and #2 hatches. Seconds later a second torpedo exploded starboard side near #1 hatch. Ship settled rapidly by the head. Engines secured in 2 minutes. Two distress signals sent on emergency transmitter, but no reply received. No rocket fired. No counter offensive possible. Confidentials thrown overboard in weighted boxes. | ||
| 4. Ship abandoned on order of master in four lifeboats and three rafts. Sub surfaced, fired a burst of machine gun tracers over boats, hailed #1 boat and asked for captain, papers and name of ship. Crew of boat ordered aboard sub, lined up on deck and covered by machine gun, questioned through interpreter, who spoke very good English with slight American accent. Africans forbidden to leave boat. Master and one passenger, agent of John Holt Co., retained on board sub. Remainder of crew ordered back into boat and were told captain would be in Germany in three weeks time. Commander wished crew good luck, sub moved away. Survivors picked up at 0500, 6 Mar by SS EMPIRE RUBY and landed at Port Harcourt same day. Total ship's compliment consisted of 42 crew, 40 Kroo boys, 4 passengers, 9 DEMS. All survived. Captain and one passenger taken prisoner aboard sub. | ||
| 5. Sub was described as large - 740 tons German type, with oversized conning tower camouflaged with diagonal lines, painted black with no lettering or numbers, and with a Swastika in raised metal on the conning tower. Large section of deck forward of conning tower reported to be movable. Two jumping wires ran from forward to top of tower but none aft. Twin AA guns were mounted on centre pedestal seemed slightly larger than Oerlikons; muzzuls fitted with flash eliminators. Small type of Bellini Tosi D/F appeared to be on top of conning tower, loops were square. Sub appeared to have been at sea for some time. Growth was visible on bow, crew very sunburnt and appeared to be German. Two members of crew were on deck; sub Commander, another officer who acted as interpreter, 2 petty officers, one on the conning tower looking forward and the second stood on conning tower platform, and 6 sailors armed with machine guns. Commander was clean shaven, about 40 years old, dressed in white shirt and shorts, and bareheaded. Used no English and spoke in German. Commander appeared very excited and eager to get away. The interpreter had apparently been caught by surprise as he was clothed only in a towel which he had wrapped around his waist. Petty officers wore white shhirts, shorts and petty officer's caps. Six sailors were dressed in white Navy uniforms and wore Navy hats with ribbons in the back. All were clean shaven except two sailors who were bearded; uniforms looked clean and well-kept. Sub appeared to be using electric motors when alongside boat. Commander called to the bridge and after much excitement the survivors | ||
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Op-16-B-5 |
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| were ordered back to the boat and told not to show any lights and not to signal to the other boats. Sub then circled the lifeboat once and submerged. | ||
| C. CHALLENGER, | ||
| Ensign, W-V(S). USNR | ||
| 16-E-2, 16-P-1, 16-8(5 copies), Op-20G-M, Op-23-L, Op-30-M, Op-39-P-3(2 copies), Cominch F-20, F-21, F-41, FX-37(C&R), FX-43, FX 45, AFASU, BuOrd, BuShips, CG(4 cop), Coord Res & Dev, JAG, DIO, 1, 3, 4, 5(2 copies), 6, 7(3 copies), 8(2 copies), 10(4 copies), 11(3 copies), 12, 13, 14(4 copies), 15NDs, Op-28, 16-W, 16-P-2 | ||
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