BRG50819240520001 LEO. Bilde via wrecksite.eu.

1924 DS LEO (1) (BRG508192405)

warsailors

Type:

Dampskip, stykkgods
steam ship, general cargo.

ID:

5606233

Flagg (flag):

NOR

Havn (port):

Bergen

Byggeår (year built):

1924/12

Bygg nr:

30

Bygger (yard):

Ateliers & Chantiers de la Seine Maritime, Worms &
Compagnié, Le Trait, Frankrike.

Eier (owner):

Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab, Bergen.

Disponent (manager):

Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab, Bergen.

Klasse (Class).:

DnV +1A1

Tonnasje (Tonnage):

1.480 tdw, 1.367 brt, 791 nrt.

Dimensjoner (size):

L: 231,4’-B: 34,2’-D: 21,8’.

Lasthåndtering
(cargo handling):

3 lasteluker.
4 passasjerer.

Kjølemaskineri
(Ref. machinery):

Navigasjonsutstyr:

Manøversystemer
(syst. for manouvering):

Dekksmaskineri
(deck machinery):

Kommunikasjon (comm.):

Kallesignal (Call sign):

LDSF / LDLW

Fremdrift (propulsion):

1 stempel dampmaskin (steam reciprocating). Triple exp., 3-
sylinder, syl. diam.: 18,0”–30,0”–50,0”, slag/stroke: 33,0”.
189 NHK. Bygget av Ateliers & Chantiers de la Seine
Maritime, Worms & Compagnié, Le Trait, Frankrike.

Fart/forbr.(speed/cons):

10,0 knop.

Hjelpemaskineri (aux):

Tot. el. kraft (el.power):

Kjeler (boiler):

2 dampkjeler (steam boilers), hver med dim.: 12,0’ x 11,3’
og 2 fyrganger. Samlet heteflate 2.687 ft². Arbeidstrykk 180
psi. Bygget av Ateliers & Chantiers de la Seine Maritime,
Worms & Compagnié, Le Trait, Frankrike.

Bemanning (crew):

Historikk:

1924 Bygget som LEO av Ateliers & Chantiers de la Seine Maritime, Worms & Compagnié, Le Trait, Frankrike for Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab, Bergen. Byggekostnad NOK 786.500. Satt inn i Hamburg linjen.
1929 Nytt kjølerom som holdt minus 12 grader celsius.
1936 Flere lasterom isolert slik at kapasiteten for kjølelast øket.
1939 Installert ny radio.
1940 WW II–Nortraship ble managers i april.
1941 Senket med bomber av tyske fly 19/03 75 nm nordvest av Butt of Lewis, Ytre Hebridene mens hun var på reise fra Hull, England til Reykjavik, Island med 300 tonn is og 7.000 tomkasser. Besetningen kom seg i livbåtene og heiste seil for Hebridene. Underveis ble de funnet av jageren HMS ECHO. De ble landsatt i Scapa Flow, Orknøyene.

Report about the war loss of the s.s. LEO on the 19th March, 1941.

The s.s. LEO left Alexandra Dock, Hull, on the 1th. March bound for lceland.
The cargo consisted of about 300 tons of ice, 7000 empty cases and about 140 tons of reserve bunker coal in the tween deck. The permanent bunkers contained about 145 tons coal.
During the stay at Hull effective watch was kept on board by day as well as by night and before departure the vessel was properly inspected. The crew consisted of 21 men including the master, one man in excess of what is provided for in the manning scale. The vessel was otherwise in good seaworthy condition and the cargo was everywhere well stowed and secured.
After the compasses had been adjusted, we anchored in Hull Roads.
Wednesday 12th March. Went over the range in order to check up on the wiping. Continued to Grimsby Roads and anchored in order to await convoy. Boat drill was carried out.
Thursday the 13th March. At 9.30 o'clock hove up the anchor and continued in convoy to Methil.
Friday the 14th March. At 17.00 o'clock anchored in Methil Roads. Received instrucitons and orders for departure on the 15th March.
On account of thick fog there was no departure before the 17th March.
Monday the 17th March. At about 16.00 o'clock left Methil in convoy.
Tuesday 6th 18th March, at 18.00 o'clock passed Dunnet Head light.
Wednesday the 19th March. At 0.15 o'clock passed Cape Wrath. At 2.30 o'clock passed Butt of Lewis, bearing S.W. about 12 nautical miles off where we left the convoy according to instructions. The course onwards was N. 52 W. At 8.50 o'clock a British aeroplane passed over the ship. At 9.45 o'clock another aeroplane came from astem over the vessel and, when it passed, the ship was fired at with machine guns and bombs were dropped. 2 or 3 bombs struck the vessel forward on the fore deck. One bomb fell into the sea abreast of the amidship. The vessel was shortly afterwards lying with the fore deck awash in the water and had a heavy list to port. The lifeboats were at once manned and lowered. When all the men had got into the boats, 21 in all, they rowed away from the ship. The aeroplane, which had the German national marking, circled round the vessel a couple of times before it disappeared. We remained in the vicinity of the vessel and saw that the forward part of the ship was gradually sinking deeper and at 10.00 o'clock the after part of the ship rose up and stood up in the water for about 3 minutes before she disappeared. We rowed round the spot where the ves­sel had sunk and came across the lifesaving rafts from which we took various articles of food and clothes. The motor boat had been smashed and was lying with the bottom up so that we could not make use of it. We set sails and steered for the Hebrides.
All the ship's papers and the crew's papers went down with the ship, likewise all the secret covoy instructions which were lying in a canvas bag to which had been fasteneed a piece of iron. The mail was lying in the chart room on the bridge. When the casualty occurred the weather was slightly cloudy with fresh north-westerly wind with some swell.
At about 14.30 o'clock the crew from both lifeboats were picked up by the H.M.S. "ECHO". We were about 75 nautical miles off the Butt of Lewis in a northwesterly direction when the vessel sank.
On Sunday morning 23rd March, we were put on board the depot ship in Scapa Flow. Contiued on Monday morning to Thurso and from then on to Glasgow where we arrived on Tuesday morning.
Ivar Eilertsen, Master.

History in English:

1924 Built as LEO by Ateliers & Chantiers de la Seine Maritime, Worms & Compagnié, Le Trait, France for Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab, Bergen. Building costs NOK 786.500. Service in Hamburg linjen.
1929 A new refrigeration room to minus 12 degrees installed.
1936 More of the cargo spaces insulated to increase the refrigeration capacity.
1939 New radio installed.  
1940 WW II–Nortraship became managers in April.
1941 Bombed and sunk by German aircraft 19/03, 75 nm north-West of Butt of Lewis, the Outer Hebrides whilst on a voyage from Hull, England to Reykjavik, Iceland with 300 tons of ice and 7.000 empty cases. The crew abandoned in the lifeboats and set sail for Hebrides. After four and a half hour were they taken up by HMS ECHO and landed at Scapa Flow, Orkneys.