An item reported that one or two British submarines torpedoed the German troop transport Rio de Janeiro near Christiansand. She transported 300 men troops, 150 men were killed. The Delftsche Courant dated 9 April supplied more details. The Rio de Janeiro measured 5,261 tons and was sighted by a British submarine off the island Justö. Despite a warning shot from the submarine tried the transport to escape to the coast when one torpedo was fired. She sank really fast. Her crew jumped over board and some were saved by a small vessel of Christiansand. A second torpedo also hit the transport causing dodging wreckage killing three men. Small Norwegian vessels were saving the crew, 150 were brought to Lillesand and its is believed a similar number lost their lives. Because the men on board were dressed in uniforms it was believed she was a troop transport. All were very young. Elsewhere was written in the same time that totally 96 men were saved and the bodies of 25 picked up.(1)
Note
1. R. Jordan. The world’s merchant fleets 1939. Since 7 March 1940 part of the German navy sunk by the Dutch built Polish submarine Orzel on 8 April with 150 survivors of the around 299 men on board. Former property of the Hamburg-Südamerikanische Dampfschiffahrts Gesellschaft in Hamburg. Built in 1914 in Bremen as the Santa Iné and renamed 1921.With a gross register tonnage of 5.261 tons, a deadweight of 9.331 tons and as dimensions 401.9 x 55’0”x 26’4” and a speed of 10,5 knots.
