D/S Norviken

Rapport ved 1. styrmannen

Monday April 6th at 10 p.m. s.s. "NORVIKEN" sailed from Madras to Bombay in ballast. The ship is in good ordrer and condition. The lifeboats are swinged out and in full ordrer, four Rafts are hanging in the rigging, two on the foredeck and two on the afterdeck. By the Rafts are hanging Knife for cutting the lashing, all hands are supplied with lifejackets and Corkbelts. The ships course are after the Admirality's ordrer. The weather was S.S.W. light cloudy and smooth sea, the ship goes with full blackout. The voyage proceed without anything to remark.

April 9th at about 10 a.m. received Wiereless message that ships are being bombed by enemy airplanes further North of our position. The lashing for the lifeboats was cast off to make everythning ready for quick lowering, and each man got ordres to stand by in case anything should happen. At 11.20 a.m. airplanes was sighted in great height ahead of the ship. Only few seconds after the planes dived and dropped bombs against the ship. The first bomb exploded close by Port side midtships, two bombs by the starboard side on the after deck, steampipe's in the engineroom did break and the engine room was filled with steam. Nr. 1 lifeboat on the starboard side was lowered down at once, and shortly after the Port lifeboat was lowered, 38 men went into the Starboard lifeboat, when none more of the crw could be sighted the boat went off from the ship, and started rowing against the shore. The whole time under the lowering and rowing aginst shore the lifeboat was machinegunned. The Officers Cook was hit by a bullet in the ankle and he lost a lot of blood, bu we managed to stop the bleeding. After about 3/4 hours rowing the boat was landed through heavy breakers. Everything went well, and all hands took shelter in the wood. The breadtank and the watertank besides the medicine chest was taken in shore. The cook who was most wounded got a new bandage on his wound and a few other injured were taken care of, after that all the crew got bread and water. After about one hours time some natives came to the landing place bringing Coconuts with them. They told us it was a hospital about one hours travel from the place we were and the most injured were taken there, that was Officer's Cook, two fireman and one Salonboy. The Chief of the Police for the district and the manager for the Governments Training School which was not far from the leanding-place was now present, with great kindness from their side did they take the crew down to the school where they got a wash and dry cloths and later on a meal. The port lifeboat was still lying longside the ship, but no life could be sighted on board. Secon Officer, Chief and Third Engineer were standing by on the beach to be ready in case some of the still missing should drive to the beach and he and the second officer kept watch. Shortly after we saw one of the Rafts which came drifting against shore. Onboard the rafte was the fireman's cook and the officer's second cook; on the Raft was also the body of the Feetter wo was burned to death probably when the steam-pipe in the Engine broke. After some trouble owing to the breakers did we manage to get the Raft a shore, the two who were saved were sent down to the School, and the body was placed on a stretcher and carried to a house nearby. The second Cook could tell that he had seen the Captain in the water without life-jacket and he was bleading form the head.

When it was getting dark the Chief of the Police placed watch on the beach after order from the Chief Officer. At 10 o'clock p.m. the watchman on the beach came up to the school and brought with them two of them who were missing namely one of the quartermasters and a saloonboy, both had jumped in to the water, and had drifted on shore on their life-jackets. They say they were suffering from pain in their back, and the Doctor came down, the next morning the saloonboy was taken to the hospital. All night the Police were keeping watch on the beach.

Friday April 10th The Chief Officer and the third Engineer went down to the beach. The ship was still floating and drifted northwards owing to the current, and as yesterday she had heavy list to the port and it looked as she could sink every minute, no life could be sighted on board. Port lifeboat was still lying long side the ship. Owing to the heavy breakers it was impossible to get on board the ship. About 10 a.m. orders came from the Government in Batticaloa that had to be sent down there with Busses. The police are still keeping watch on the beach. The ship had by theis time stranded, and was lying with her bow Southward.

The second Officer was tending to the Funeral of the dead Feetter. Chief officer, first, second, and third engineer together with the crew went to Batticaloa. The Chief Officer told the second officer that he would be back to the beach at 4 p.m. for together try to go on board, and let go an anchor to avoid the ship for drifting further and to point out that the ship was brough to anchor by her own Crew. When we arrived to Batticaloe we get orders from the Government to sendt the Chinese Crew to Colombo in the afternoon. They were brought to St. Michael College where they got food, after that clothes and shoes were brought to them of the crew who need it most, after that they were sent by train to Colombo together with the wounded. At 4 p.m. everything was ready and the Chief Officer went in taxi back to the beach. Comeing down there he seaw that the second Officer already had been on board and dropped the Port anchor. There was no boat to be had and the Cheif Officer went down to the Chief of the Police where the Second Officer already was.

He said that much damage was done to the Hull, and it was water up to the tween-deck in every hold.

Early in the morning of the 9th of April telling the Chief Officer to take upon the bridge the bag where the Admirality's Code Book and paper was lying, and the Captain said it was to be dumped over board in case of attack. This bag was put down on the Starboard side of the topbridge, where the Captains used to stay. The second Officer could not see any bag when he was on board the ship.

The Chief of the Police for the district got ordres to keep strong Policewatch on the beach, and that he should keep a Kane ready for the next day, because the 1st and 2nd officer would try to get on board, after that the Officers went back to Batticaloa.

April 11th at 10 a.m. one Officer from the Navy came up to see me and after a conference with him, the 1st and the 2nd Officer should jeet him on the bach at 4 p.m. to tray to save the two machineguns, and we to try to save so much as possible of the ship's instruments etc. and he should order a big kano for the purpose.

At 11 a.m. I received the following telegram from the Chief of the Police. The bombed Norwegian vessel pilfered by some villagers and is in flames last naight according to headman detail to watch stop inquiring into the matter stop inform Chief Officer of the vessel VANJA.

At 12.15 the 1st and the 2nd Officer went down to the ship when coming down there it was no Kano to be had so they could not get on board. At 3.30 p.m. we could still see smoke come out from the saloon-house and from the Allyway's. The top bridge was all burnt up all the cabins midtships were burned up. The ship was now lying with the steam against shore and the aftership was more down in the water. When nothing more could be done from our side, we went down to the chief of the Police to get further information according to the fire. The Police had a hand written report so I could not get any copy of it. The report stated that after order by me April 10th was two of the Police headman and three others was on watch the whole night. It stated that about 10 p.m. the watchman saw lights onboard the ship, it looks they were using flashlights, and that they heard noise onboard. They did not have any Kano so the y could not come out to the ship, but one of them did swim out. When he come out he saw a big boat living the ship, and the could of course do nothing, besides he could not discover who it was. At 11 p.m. the watchman discovered the fire. At 11.30 p.m. one heavy explosion was heard, and shortly after a new one was heard. At 2 a.m. the next morning did they hear the last explosion. It is to believe that the explosion was coming from the ammunition for the machineguns.

When I did not get any instruction from the Norwegian Consul in Colombo or from Norwegian Shipping and Trade Mission in Calcutta I and the four other officers are going to Colombo tomorrow.

Batticaloa, April 11th, 1942

Birger Kleven, Chief Officer ex. s.s. "NORVIKEN"