Wreck of "Troldfos". Story of "U93" and Q-ship "Prize".
End of July 2010, during our work for a major oil company, investigating a virgin oilfield in the Northern part of the North Sea, our ROV team ran into a wreck at a depth of about 1 115 meter that obviously posed a threat to our continued operation.
A majority of our crew onboard got very excited and was very eager to find out both identity and history of the wreck.
After hours of discussions with all the task holders incl. management ashore, risk assessments and potential liabilities, it was decided to move forward with the investigation of the wreck.
During the following days, many crew members were searching the internet "wreck sites" for any clues from reported wrecks in the vicinity.
From my interest in history and archeology, I nurtured a naive belief of being able to get hold of the relatives of the crew from Troldfos. I was hoping to find an old family tail about their beloved "sailor-uncle" who's vessel was attacked(shelled) and sunk by a German sub during the first world war. Crew of 19 souls narrowly escaping in a small lifeboat North Roe(Shetland).
I was in contact with and visited Norwegian Maritime Museum, were the model of Troldfos is on exhibit. But they could not assist in any history around the vessel or model. I've searched the Master's name Henry Martin Hoeg. The first manager of the vessel, Thor Thoresen jr., Kristiania, and finally I managed to get a hit on First Officer Bjarne M. Rasmussen.
(1st Officer Bjarne M. Rasmussen)
Comments from 1st Officer Bjarne M. Rasmussen's grandson, Jan Trygve Gård:
"It is correct that Bjarne M. Rasmussen (1887 – 1975) was my grandfather. He could have been 1st Officer on Troldfos year 1917. He was 30 years old at that time.
He continued sailing in between the two world wars, and also during the second world war as a
Master/Captain for "Notraship" ## (explanation below).
During this period he was also held captive in a "prisoner of war camp" somewhere in northern Africa, I do not remember in what country. The last few months of the war he spent with a family in Gloucester UK. He returned to Norway shortly after the liberation 1945. He never went to sea again after the war. As a wartime sailor he received his retirement at the age of 58.
Bjarne married my grandmother in Uranienborg church, Oslo May 19th 1917 so it must have been quite an eventful year for him.
He had a son that also was a mariner in the second world war. His son was unlucky and got torpedoed twice during this period.
1961 he decided to visit the family and friends in Gloucester, and I accompanied him on this journey.
Unfortunately neither me, nor my brother can recall Bjarne ever mentioning anything about his adventures on board the vessel Troldfos."
(## Notraship: By Thierry Etienne Joseph Rotty.
All Norwegian merchant vessels not under German control were pooled in a company called Nortraship. This company was the largest shipping company during World War Two with more than 1,000 vessels that they placed at the disposal of the Allies.
What was even more important, was that in 1940, Norway had the largest tanker fleet in the world. It was this fleet, now part of Notraship, which enabled the Allied to win the War.
Without the Norwegian merchant fleet, the Allies lose the Battle of the Atlantic, it is simple mathematics.
Back to the investigation and identification efforts on board Hugin inJuly 2010 ....
A couple of pictures from Hugin Explorer's ROV preparations, before the subsea investigation commenced.
Instrument room. Navigators and ROV pilots...
In preparation for this post, I contacted Siri Lawson, who designed and maintain the forum "Warsailors.com". Unfortunately she was not not able to assist in my quest when her forum is more about the second world war, but she linked me to a thread from her forum regarding Troldfos. It turned out to be my Ch.Officer on board Hugin Explorer Captain Joseph Jose', communicating with forum contributors solving the mystery of identifying the wreck.
(Link below the discussions leading up to the identification of Troldfos )
http://warsailors.com/forum/archive/forum/read.php-1,48287,48287.html
Wreck was found 95nm due west of shetlands, it is 80mtrs long, resting upright at a depth of 1100mtrs.
basic layout asf : 2 cargo holds fwd, followed by accomm and then the engine room & skylight and then cargo holds 3 & 4.
Cargo holds 1 & 2 seems empty. cargo hold no.3 fully loaded with steel cargo, mostly wheels looking like tractor parts. no.4 hold empty. there is a box at the aft most on the poop deck, in the centreline, which we think could be steering gear or entrance to steering gear room.
only breach on the steel hull was a hole found was on stbd quarter, guess its well above waterline.
there were two red stripes on the hull, in the fwd and at the quarters.
cargo gear, one fwd and aft, collapsed.
name at midships 'S-NO' these are the only letters we could make out bcoz of dense growth on it.
some are of opinion that it a H between S and N and not '-', ie. SHNO.
can anybody throw some light into this.
Thanks n regards
Joseph Jose "
(please follow the link above for detailed discussion)
.jpg)
Excerpts from my log leading up to the start of investigation of the wreck.
Rosebank wreck investigation 2010-07-21
Hugin Explorer, Fugro ROV tech.
1100mtrs depth. Wreck discovered when planting Node 2003-2004, Wreck situated a few meters from the Node.
Wreck position
POS 60°59’8 N 003°55’7 W(Bow position, stern in almost northerly bearing from its bow)
1510lt Arrival field DP checklist.
1530lt Awaiting Final approval Chevron(Client).
1615lt All clear to Launch FCV(ROV) Launched.
1621lt Landed almost exact in the wreck, New set point 30 meters South.
1624lt Switch to “follow target”(follow sub), start tests, flying ROV and Hugin follows.
1637lt Completed follow target tests.
1638lt Start moving in to the wreck site.(DP in follow target mode, Hugin following the ROV on the surface)
Below is the link to my "dropbox", a 20 minute film. Snippets from the ROV-filming the wreck.
Film 20 minutes wreck Troldfos
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Excerpts from Troldfos "Maritime Declaration" hearing were Henry Martin Hoeg, accounts for the events during, and following the attack and sinking of his vessel....
Maritime Declaration re. sinking of Troldfos, shipwrecked April 18th 1917, en route New York to Kristiania(Oslo). No casualties.
Cargo: 10 427 crates agriculture machinery, of what 1 132 stowed on deck.
At 14:15 The Captain and the Officer of the watch(OOW) were made aware of a submarine, two points forward abeam Starboard side at at distance of one to two cables. The submarine was fully submerged, only the ripples and wake on the surface water was seen.
The Captain stopped the engine, and sounded the ships whistle to muster the ships crew. At the same time the submarine fired a torpedo towards their vessel that passes them approximately 10 fathoms forward of their bow. The engine crew were ordered to muster on deck, The two lifeboats were launched and the crew ordered to dress warm and be ready to abandon ship. Two men were ordered to man each lifeboat and keep them clear of the vessel. The submarine was still submerged and not visible.
At 15:00 whizzed a projectile above the vessel and the submarine was visible in a Northerly direction. The crew were ordered to abandon the ship. The lifeboats moved away from the vessel and again a canon shot was fired that looked like hitting the bridge of Troldfos. Both boats were ordered to stay clear of the line of fire. During a couple of minutes, Troldfos was hit by two more shells, one hit the forward part of the vessel and the other midships. Troldfos heeled slowly over to the port side and soon began to sink in the forward part and after 15 minutes she was gone. Tha last sight was the Norwegian flag that had been flying the whole day.
The submarine moved towards the lifeboats, and Troldfos Captain were requested to board the submarine where he was asked about his vessels journey. The Captain requested the submarine commander to tow the two lifeboats closer to shore, which he declined. The Commander said that he had orders to without, warning sink all vessels within the German "danger zone".
The two lifeboats then started sailing towards Shetland, 10 crew members in Captains boat, and 9 in the Mates. They agreed upon keeping the close distance and signal towards each other.
In the evening the wind increased from North West, during the night it increased to storm, it began to rain and the sea was black. The two boats remained in sight until 03:00 in the morning of 19th . With increasing wind the visibility was reduced. No vessels were to be seen and the boats continued their sail towards Shetland that came in sight in the morning around 10:00-11:00.
At 16:00, both boats made land in close proximity to each other in Yell Sound. This without having a visual contact the whole morning.
At arrival the crew were very well greeted. They received dry clothing and food after which they made contact with the Norwegian consul in Lerwick
Identity and faith of Troldfos established, so what about the German submarine that shelled her?
Below excerpts from...
Prize as the ship was later known, engaged three submarines with Sanders being awarded the Victoria Cross for the first.
After being taken into service First Prize was taken to Ponsharden, upstream from Falmouth for conversion to a submarine decoy ship, or Q-Ship as they were known.
There two 50hp motors were installed as was a radio. The ship was also armed with two 12 pounder guns, a Lewis gun and a Maxim machine gun.
To hide the guns the forward 12 pounder was inside a collapsible deck house and the after one on a disappearing mounting below the hatchway covers of the after hold.
With the conversion completed First Prize sailed to its new base at Milford Haven in south Wales.
There the ship was stored and final maintenance undertaken. On 5 February 1917 while still in dockyard hands the ship’s new Commanding Officer, Acting Lieutenant Commander William Sanders RNR joined the ship.
He was a New Zealander from Auckland who had been at sea since he was aged 16 and was now the youngest officer to command a Q-Ship.
The other three officers and the ship’s company of 23 ratings joined soon after.
On Wednesday 25 April 1917 Lieutenant Commander Sanders formally commissioned HMS First Prize into the Royal Navy and early the next morning the ship sailed on its first patrol.
The ship’s patrol area was to the south of Ireland and First Prize gradually made ground, under sail, in that direction. The weather was fine and there was the opportunity to practice the routine required on meeting a submarine.
Four days later, on the evening of 30 April this occurred. U93 was sighted and as the submarine closed it opened fire with both guns and the ‘panic’ party manned the boat and pulled away from First Prize.
Once the submarine was in range First Prize opened fire and scored hits on the submarine, blowing its captain and two others over the side.
The submarine was seen to settle and was believed to have sunk, an opinion that was shared by its captain who was rescued by First Prize’s boat.
First Prize had been heavily damaged in the action and was fortunate to be able to return to base.
Described as the classic Q-Ship action, Lieutenant Commander Sanders was awarded the Victoria Cross and all of his men were also decorated.
Three weeks later, the damage from the action with U93 having been repaired, HMS Prize as the ship was now known, was on patrol again.
On 12 June UC75 was sighted and approached Prize, firing as it closed. When in range Prize too opened fire but the submarine was able to submerge and escape, taking with it a description of Prize.
Once more repaired Prize was again on patrol in early August, with the British submarine D6, when it encountered UB48 on the afternoon of 13 August.
The submarine closed Prize, firing as it did so and again, when in range Prize opened fire. Again the submarine escaped, but this time remained in the vicinity.
About midnight, witnessed by D6 which was on the surface recharging its batteries, a torpedo slammed into Prize and the ship disintegrated in a terrific explosion. There were no survivors.
Source:
Howard, G., Gunner Billy, RNZN Museum, Auckland, 2007
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