Ships , anyone?

[Bayoswede]

Many people collects postcards of Ships, but what does a such collection has to do with a military forum like this ?

Aha , maybe a collection like this

Ships that have been Torpedoed in First and Second World War.

First Card out is the Cunard Line Andania

Built 1913 and Torpedoed and sunk with the loss of 71 people 5 years later by U 46.

Christer

[Bayoswede]

The second ship in my collection is the first one.

Well that is the first one who got torpedoed in World War II

Cunard Line SS Athenia was chartred in 1939 from Anchor-Donaldson Line and was torpedoed and sunk on the first day of WWII

128 people followed her down.

She was sunk by U-30 and her commander Fritz Julius Lemp

Christer

Edited January 4, 2008 by Bayoswede

[Bayoswede]

Next ship in my collection is again a WW I victim.

RMS AURANIA

Built in 1917 she was only one year when she was torpedoed off Scotland in 1918. 9 lives lost.

Christer

[Bayoswede]

Next in my collection is RMS FRANKONIA built in 1911 become troopship in 1915 and torpedoed off Fastnet in 1917

12 lives lost in her sinking.

christer

[Bayoswede]

Next one is one of the worst disasters in WWI, the worst is yet to come.

SS Invernia was built in 1900 and become a troopship in 1914. after three years of service she was torpedoed by U-47 1917

with the loss of 121 lives.

Christer

[Bayoswede]

In 1912 was RMS Laconia built and she was serving as an Armed Merchant Cruiser 1914-1916

In 1917 torpedoed and sunk by U-50 off Fastnet with the lost of 12 lives

Christer

[Bayoswede]

One of the worst!

RMS Laconia II built in 1921 was involved in one of the most tragic sinkings in WWII

She was carrying POWs mainly Italian when she was torpedoed 12 september 1942 by U-156

During a rescue operation by the same submarine of the survivors the Sub was attacked by US planes and forced to dive.

The incident was to be known as the Laconia incident. more than 2200 people lost their lives.

Here is a letter card from Laconia.

christer

[Bayoswede]

If Laconia was one of the worst sinkings in WWII surely the next one in my collection was one of most tragic in WWI

RMS Lusitania was built in 1907 and was one of the big Fourstackers

In May 1915 she was on her way to New York with 1959 passengers.

When U-20 torpedoed her at 14.15.

1195 lives where lost that day.

christer

[Bayoswede]

Its somewhat ironic in a tragic sence that all the ships in my collection until now was sunk by one of the most succesful U-boats navys, the German one

But the worst disasters in Military Naval History was done by the least succesful one , the Soviet Submarines.

And the lost of lives where on the German side this time.

The Soviets had very little succes in WW II with their Submarines, they sank some Swedish ships, a few German but above all they

sank some Geman ships that made it into the history books, but didn?t bring any famr to the men who sank them.

Wilhelm Gustloff was built in 1936 and was torpedoed after she left Gotenhafen (> 1945 Gdynia) 30th January 1945

official records say that more than 6000 people wher ombord but some historians claim that there where over 10000 people when she left harbour.

The soviet sub S-13 under the command of Alexander Marinesko sank her and at least 5000 people lost their lives probably up o 7 or 8 000.

Here is some pics of the ship, one of the most beautiful ones if you ask me.

Christer

[Bayoswede]

This is a private Photo of her !

Notice the German sub in the foregrund!

christer

[Bayoswede]

And here is another one from my collection

[Bayoswede]

And another pic from the other side of the ship

CD

[Scott]

Nice collection!

Scott

[Paul R]

That is an amazing and unexplored focus! How many more do you have left to find?

[Bayoswede]

Thanks Scott and Paul!

I think its interesting to research the story behind theese ships, every ship has a story and it started (as always) as a sidetrack

My main interets is ship cards from Cunard Line and White Star Line and while doing so I noticed that several have been torpedoed or mined during the wars.

I know some people think its strange to collect disasters and tragdys, but they are a piece of history bad or good.

Here is another one SS Arabic , biuilt in 1903 and as many other torpedoed off Ireland 1915 with the loss of 44 lives.

I know about 25-30 more cards with ships that have been torpedoed. But have many there are out there I don?t really know, and that part of the exitment in collecting isn?t it?

Christer

[jabnus]

Christer, nice and interesting collecting area, plese post more when you find them, i like these cards and the story behind them ;-)

regards,

Gaston

[Brian Wolfe]

Very impressive collection.

Thank you for sharing it.

Cheers

Brian

[Bayoswede]

And another one !

What?s this now ? A German Destroyer among theese Torpedoed Ships .

Yes, This is Z 21 Wilhelm Heidkamp Launched in 1939 and Sunk after beeing hit with torpedos in Narvik, Norway April 1940.

Christer

Edited January 9, 2008 by Bayoswede

[GeorgeCL]

Heres the Ship My Grandmother and Father imigrated to the US in 1940.

NYK Line Asama Maru.

My Grandfather came a year later (1941) on the Tatsuta maru her sister ship.

Both were th NYK lines pride of the seas in there hayday.

Grandfather always recalled his approach to the Golden Gate.

There was several Japanese liners and the Tatsuta Maru was the Last Japanese ship let into the bay.

The ship stayed back as they could see passengers on the later ships jumping overboard.

They stayed and picked up the survivors, mostly Russian eimgre like him.

Heres a great link with the ships histories

http://www.oceanlinermuseum.co.uk/Asama Maru History.htm

Both sunk by US Subs.

George

Edited January 11, 2008 by GeorgeCL

[Bayoswede]

Great story George!

I love when there is a personal story behind the pics.

This ship has also a most tragic story but not so much on her own ....

Can you read the name on the bow?

Carpathia a Cunard Liner , here in New York in April 1912.... YES She was the ship which first arrived to the area where Tianic sunk and

ombord Carpathia the survivors at last reached New York.

But the story didn?t end there in 1918 Carpathia was torpedoed by U 55 and sunk in Atlantic , 5 people died, she only survived Titanic with 6 years.

Christer

[christerd]

Two More ships in my collection!

First out is a private Photo of Orcades from the Orient Line

Launched in 1937 23456 ton, and sunk by torpedos out Cape of Good Hope in 1942 while sailing as a troopship

48 people followed her to the bottom.

Christer

[christerd]

Next one is a Ship from the famous White Star Line RMS Cymric.

Bulit 1897 and 12552 tons. Torpedoed by German Submarine U 20 NW of Fastnet 8th May 1916 and sunk the following day

with the loss of 5 lives.

And Yes, the submarine U-20 was the same submarine that sunk Lusitania.

Christer

I keep looking for more unlucky ships

[nesredep]

Hello!

Just amazing collection.

All the best

Nesredep

[christerd]

Thanks Nesredep !

I am still hunting for more unfortunate ships, and the are plenty

Here is two more new in my collection for today !!

First out is SS Surrey Built 1882 for the Atlantic Transport Line she changed owner and name several times

from Surrey to Michigan 1888 and in 1900 she was renamed Harry Luckenbach (of all names) and with that name she sailed for 18 years

but in 6th Jan 1918 she was Topedoed and sunk by the German Submarine U-84 North of Bay of Biscay.

Christer

[christerd]

And here is a more Famous ship more than 30 years later !

Arandora Star built in 1927 for Blue Star Line

She was assigned to transport axis prisoners of War to Canada and was heading to Canada with nearly 1500 German and Italian internees including 86 POWs when she at 6 AM 2 July 1940 at the Northwest Coast of Ireland she was struck by an torpedo from the German submarine U-47.

Commanded by the U-boat Ace Gunther Prien , a single torpedo make her sunk. There was only 586 survivors

WWII s worst disaster at sea so far was a fact.....

This is a private Photo taken by someone from Sweden during the thirties.

Christer