An item dated London 28 November reported that according to an officer of a neutral merchant ship arriving in England the Bremen (1) arrived in Murmansk with engine problems en that he saw more as fifty German ships in this harbour including the mail steamer New York and two loaded petrol tankers.
Note
1. The ss Bremen of the Norddeutscher Lloyd, launched on 16 August 1928 at the shipyard of the Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinebau AG which made her maiden trip on 16 July a year later and in 1941 burned while docked at Bremerhaven and broken up in 1946. With a tonnage of 51,656 gross tons were her dimensions 2861, x 31 metres or 938’6 x 101’7 feet. Her four steam turbines supplied 25,000 hp allowing a speed of 275 knots. Her crew numbered 966 men. She was fitted out with a catapult to launch a small seaplane used for the mail service. She departed on 30 August 1939 New York and received ordered to steam for Murmansk when on 1 September the Second World War broke out arriving in this harbour five days later. During the voyage was she painted grey. On 10 December she left Murmansk and managed to arrive safely three days later in Bremerhaven just escaping from being torpedoed by the British submarine HMS Salmon. After her arrival she was used as a barrack ship and intended to be used as transport in Operation Sealion (intended German invasion in Great Britain).
