Steamship Swainby
The steel steamship Swainby was launched from the yard of Ropner and Sons Ltd., Stockton-on-Tees (Yard No 507) on 24th January 1917. She measured 390.0′ x 55.6′ x 26.2′ and her tonnage was 4935 gross tons, 3040 net tons. She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine by Blair and Co Ltd., Stockton-on-Tees delivering 450 nominal horse power. Built for the Ropner Shipping Co Ltd., Stockton-on-Tees she entered service around the end of World War One. After an extensive career for this company in the inter-war years she was pressed into wartime service with the outbreak of World War Two.
Lloyds register 1939
She participated in a convoys to Norway in early 1940 before joining convoy ON 25/1 in Methil, in ballast, bound for Kirkwall and Norway. She was under the command of Captain Hugh Thompson who had a crew of thirty seven men aboard. The ships safely arrived in Kirkwall where an additional ten ships joined the convoy before they headed east towards Norwegian waters. However, when the convoy was 55 miles north east of Muckle Flugga, orders were received to turn back. Germany had invaded Norway which was now a war zone. The details of what followed are confused with some ships turning while others believing the voyage was still manageable and continuing east.
U-13 KTB details
What is certain is that, by the afternoon of 17th April Swainby was in a position 25 miles north of Muckle Flugga when she was attacked by U-13 under the command of Oberlieutnant Max-Martin Schulte. Schulte had departed from Wilhelmshaven on 31st March and was more than two weeks into a fruitless patrol when he surfaced at 9:15am to continue his search for targets to attack. At 15:30 he finally sighted smoke on the horizon. He steered towards a large twin masted steamship. At 16:10 he submerged and closed in on his intended victim and, at 17:33, fired a single G7e torpedo from 1100 metres. He then reported an unusually large detonation which he surmised might have been caused by an explosion of munitions although, as Swainby was in ballast and carried no cargo, his supposition was not correct. The impact of the torpedo and the explosion tore off the stern off Swainby and she immediately began to sink rapidly by the stern. Fortunately the crew were able to launch two of the ship’s boats and escape safely before she sank eight minutes after the torpedo impact. The crew then managed to row ashore and were picked up and taken to Lerwick later that day.
Newspaper report on loss
The wreck of the Swainby has not been located or identified. In 1991 the fishing vessel Evening Star reported losing her gear on a wreck lying in 130 metres in approximate position 61 00.530 N, 000 08.549 W. The position of this reported wreck, if indeed it is a wreck, would make it a very likely candidate for the Swainby.
