Sveve

Built by: Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson, Newcastle   Completed: 1930

Owner: A/R Atlantic

Tonnage: 6313 grt, 10,350 dwt

Length: 420.6 feet

Beam: 57.5 feet

Draught: 32.3 feet

Machinery: 6 cylinder diesel engine by builder

In Admiralty Service (Royal Fleet Auxiliary) from 1940

Sveve departed the Clyde on the 4th September 1942, in convoy ON.127 on passage from Glasgow to New York and Curacao.  At 14.37 hrs on the 10 September the ship was torpedoed by U 96 in position 51º 30’ N 27º 55’ W.

The torpedo track was observed heading toward the ship, which immediately put her rudder hard to Port to try and avoid the missile, but the torpedo struck the ship near No 5 tank, about 6 -8 feet below the waterline.  Within 4 minutes the tank and the pump room were flooded, No 5 tank was gone as was the bottom of No 3 tank.

The crew abandoned ship and were picked up by HMS Sherbrooke.  There were no casualties amongst the crew of 30 Norwegian, 7 British, 1 Belgian and 1 Cuban seamen.