The armament of the Dutch merchant ship Tarakan in the Second World War

According to the list and supplements 1-2 on 13 September 1945 BDZ No. 673sent by the office of armament the Royal Netherlands Navy located at 41 East 42nd Street, New York 17, USA. There were no complete records available, so there were several sources used to compile the list. Sometimes the kind of guns gave indirect information regarding the origin such as 4”/BL and 12 pounder guns were British mostly supplied in the United Kingdom, Canada or Curacao. The 4.7” guns were old Japanese guns placed on some vessels in the begin of the war at Singapore and some 4” guns in the same period at Surabaya, Dutch East Indies. The trade in which the ship was used gave also an indication were the guns were supplied, for example involved in the Pacific trade means supplied at the West Coast.

Armed with 6-2cm guns supplied at New York on 23 October 1942

Armed with 1-10,16cm/4” cal 50 L/A supplied at San Francisco, USA on 30 September 1944

Armed with 1-7,62cm/3” cal 50 dual purpose gun supplied at New York on 27 May 1943

Armed with 1-3,7cm gun supplied at San Francisco in January 1942

Armed with 1-3,7cm gun supplied at San Francisco in August 1944

Source

Archieven van hoofd handelsbescherming en diverse handelsbeschermingsofficieren 1941-1946 inv.no. 53 (Nationaal Archief, The Hague, Netherlands. 

German blockade runner Rio Grande homeward bound in 1942

Rio Grande©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

USS Omaha©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

USS Jouett DD-396, Somers-class destroyer©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Transport Number -. Name ship Rio Grande. Company Hamburg-Südamerikanische Dampfschiffahrtsgesellschaft, Hamburg, Germany (H.S.D.G.). Date departure 31 January 1942. Harbour which was left Kobe, Japan. Date arrival 10 April 1942. Harbour of arrival Bordeaux, France.(1)

Note

1. Launched by Howaldtswerke, Hamburg, Germany with yard number 777 on 17 January 1939, commissioned on 29 April 1939 and sunk by American light cuiser USS Omaha and destroyer USS Jouett on the Atlantic on 3 January 1944. Source

Bundesarchiv RM 7/1419 Ausarbeitung "Wirtschaftsfahrten im Zweiten Weltkrieg" (Zusammenstellung der Fahrten von Blockadebrechern nach Ostasien, 1941-1945). 

Estonian merchant ship Vapper sunk by enemy submarine according to the War Cabinet Weekly Résumé No. 45of the Naval, Military and Air Situation 4-12 July 1940

An item reported that on 6 July the Estonian merchant ship Vapper, tonnage 4,548 tons, loaded with coal, underway from ... to Buenos Aires, Argentina was torpedoed 160 miles west south west of Land’s End. Not part of convoy. Of the crew was 1 man killed, 1 missing and 15 saved.

Source

National Archive UK. CAB-66-9-42. 

British minesweeping sloop HMS Genista 1916

©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Built under the Emergency War Programme of the First World War. At the end of 1914 was the design completed and in July 1915 were 36 ships in 3 batches ordered for the British Royal Navy. British shipyards built an additional 8 vessels for the French Navy. Part of Arabis-class preceded by Azalea- and Acacia classes and preceded by Aubrietia-class. The Arabis-class was just like 4 other subclasses part of the so-called Flower-class, the later also known as Cabbage-class or the Herbaceous Borders. Launched by Napier and Miller, Old Kilpatrick, Scotland on 26 February 1916 and sunk by German submarine SM U-57 in the Atlantic Ocean on 23 October 1916. 

Greek merchant ship Adamasto sunk by enemy submarine according to the War Cabinet Weekly Résumé No. 45 of the Naval, Military and Air Situation 4-12 July 1940

An item reported that on 1 July the Greek merchant ship Adamastos , tonnage 7,466 tons, loaded with cereals, underway from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain to Avonmouth, England was shelled by two submarines 420 miles west of Brest, Framce. Not part of convoy.

Source

National Archive UK. CAB-66-9-42. 

Greek merchant ship Frangoula Goulandris sunk by enemy submarine according to the War Cabinet Weekly Résumé No. 45 of the Naval, Military and Air Situation 4-12 July 1940

An item reported that on 29 June the Greek merchant ship Frangoula Goulandris, tonnage 6,701 tons, loaded with ... , underway from Cork, Ireland to Panama Canal was torpedoed off the Irish coast. Of her crew were 26 survivors landed at San Sebastian. No part of convoy.

Source

National Archive UK. CAB-66-9-42. 

American sailing sealing ship Columbia 1842-1844

Homeport New London, Connecticut, USA. Rigging ship. Tonnage 492 tons. Antarctic sealing ground South Atlantic. Date of departure 13 July 1842., Date of return 8 April 1844. Number of fur seal skins 0.Barrels of sea-elephant oil 3,200, 1,000 barrels whale oil, 7,000 pounds whale bone.

Source

Goode, George Brown. The fisheries and fishery industries of the United States. Section V. History and methods of the fisheries. Volume II, Washington, 1887. 

German submarines up scaling activities in the Atlantic Theater according to the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary dated 23 February 1942

An item reported that the German submarines were especially active over the weekend in the Atlantic theater. Many contacts were reported and at least six Allied merchant ships were sunk. Two ships part of an escorted convoy were lost, another ship off British Guiana, one in the latitude of New York, one in the Florida Straits, one in the Central Caribbean and one off Trinidad mostly suffering heavy personnel losses.

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. MR0423. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 75 dated 23 February 1942

American sailing sealing ship America 1845-1847

Homeport Newport, Rhode Island, USA. Rigging bark. Tonnage 217 tons. Antarctic sealing ground South Atlantic. Date of departure 31 August 1845. Date of return 9 September 1847. Number of fur seal skins -. Barrels of sea-elephant oil 1,200. Also 400 barrels whale oil.

Source

Goode, George Brown. The fisheries and fishery industries of the United States. Section V. History and methods of the fisheries. Volume II, Washington, 1887. 

German submarines again active along the northern Atlantic convoy routes according to the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary dated 24 February 1942

An item reported that according to the J.I.C. after more than a month nearly inactivity several German submarines reappeared along the northern Atlantic convoy routes.

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. MR0423. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 76 dated 24 February 1942

Dutch cargo ship Mandalina torpedoed and sunk by enemy submarine according to the War Cabinet Weekly Résumé No. 83 of the Naval, Military and Air Situation 27 March-3 April 1941

An item reported that on 19 March was torpedoed and sunk by an enemy submarine the Dutch merchant ship Mandalina, tonnage 7,750 tons, loaded with sugar, underway from Batavia, Dutch East Indies to Belfast, Northern Ireland, part of convoy yes, on the position 120 miles north east of Sal Is., Cape Verde. Of the crew 62 saved and 3 killed.

Source

National Archive UK. CAB-66-16-1. 

British merchant ship Western Chief torpedoed and sunk according to the War Cabinet Weekly Résumé No. 83 of the Naval, Military and Air Situation 27 March-3 April 1941

An item reported that on 14 March was torpedoed and sunk by an enemy submarine the British merchant ship Western Chief, tonnage 5,759 tons , loaded with steel and general, underway from New York to Newport, part of convoy no, on the position 250 miles west north west of Rockall. Of the crew were 20 men landed on the Azores, the rest was killed. 

Source

National Archive UK. CAB-66-16-1. 

British merchant ship Coultarn torpedoed and sunk according to the War Cabinet Weekly Résumé No. 83 of the Naval, Military and Air Situation 27 March-3 April 1941

An item reported that on 30 March was torpedoed and sunk by an enemy submarine the British merchant ship Coultarn, tonnage 3,579 tons, loaded with -, underway from Hull, England to Nobile, part of convoy no, on the position 250 miles south west of Iceland. Of the crew were 39 men saved, 2 were missing.

Source

National Archive UK. CAB-66-16-1. 

British merchant ship Germanic torpedoed and sunk according to the War Cabinet Weekly Résumé No. 83 of the Naval, Military and Air Situation 27 March-3 April 1941

An item reported that on 29 March was torpedoed and sunk by an enemy submarine the British merchant ship Germanic, tonnage 5,352 tons , loaded with wheat, underway from Halifax, Canada to Liverpool, England, part of convoy yes, on the position 570 miles north west of Bloody Foreland. Of the crew were 5 men killed, rest landed at Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

Source

National Archive UK. CAB-66-16-1. 

American sailing sealing ship Uxor in 1838-1839

Antarctic sealing ground South Atlantic Ocean. Rigging brig. Captain McKinster, left on 15 May 1838 Mystic, Connecticut for the South Atlantic Ocean and arrived at home on 9 March 1839 with 300 barrels sea-elephant oil.

Source

Goode, George Brown. The fisheries and fishery industries of the United States. Section V. History and methods of the fisheries. Volume II, Washington, 1887. 

British cargo ship mv Hylton torpedoed and sunk by an enemy submarine according to the War Cabinet Weekly Résumé No. 83 of the Naval, Military and Air Situation 27 March-3 April 1941

An item reported that on 29 March was torpedoed and sunk by an enemy submarine the British merchant ship mv Hylton, tonnage 5,917 tons , loaded with wheat and lumber , underway from Vancouver, Canada to the Tyne, part of convoy yes, on the position 570 miles north west of Bloody Foreland. Crew landed at Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

Source

National Archive UK. CAB-66-16-1. 

British tanker Chama torpedoed and sunk by enemy submarine torpedoed and sunk according to the War Cabinet Weekly Résumé No. 83 of the Naval, Military and Air Situation 27 March-3 April 1941

An item reported that on 23 March was torpedoed and sunk by an enemy submarine the British m/v tanker Chama, tonnage 8,077 tons, in ballast, underway from Ardrossan, Scotland to New York, USA, part of convoy no, on the position 520 miles west of Scillies. Fate crew unknown.

Source

National Archive UK. CAB-66-16-1. 

American sailing sealing ship Atlas in 1836-1937

Antarctic sealing ground South Atlantic. Tonnage 261 tons. Rigging ship. Captain Barnum, left New London on 17 May 1835 or 1836, returned on 9 April 1837 with 1,650 barrels sea-elephant oil.

Source

Goode, George Brown. The fisheries and fishery industries of the United States. Section V. History and methods of the fisheries. Volume II, Washington, 1887. 

American sailing sealing ship Eveline in 1835

Antarctic sealing ground South Atlantic Ocean. Rigging schooner. Arrived at Stonington on 3 May 1835 with 622 fur-seal skins, 890 hair-seal skins and 34 barrels seal-elephant oil.

Source

Goode, George Brown. The fisheries and fishery industries of the United States. Section V. History and methods of the fisheries. Volume II, Washington, 1887. 

British cargo ship Maidan lost according to the War Cabinet Weekly Résumé No. 64 of the Naval, Military and Air Situation 14-21 November 1940

An item reported the loss on 5 November of the British cargo ship Maidan , tonnage 7,908 tons, loaded with general stores and motor trucks, underway from Baltimore, USA to Liverpool, England sunk by a surface raider on the position approximate 52.26 North and 32.34 West; Part of a convoy. Further details were yet unknown.(1)

Note

1. The raider was the German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer. She was part of the convoy HX84 escorted by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Jervis Bay.

Source

National Archive UK. CAB-66-13-37.