D/S Røsten

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The First Officer brought to the Consulate the following written statement also a list of the ship's crew who are missing.

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The Chief Officer, Leif Larsen ... appeared and stated as follows:

I came off watch at midnight on the 9th July 1942 and went to my cabin. About one o'clock a.m. on the 9th July I was awakened by a terrific shaking of the ship. I immediately dressed, put my life saving vest on and went on the bridge where I met the Captain. I saw many flares about in the sky but could not hear the sound of any planes. It was dark with a few showers of rain. Flares kept on coming down all the time and we fired at these but nothing happened to us until about 2 o'clock a.m. when I saw a torpedo like a fish coming towards us from the shore side. I immediately shouted to the men to get to the boats. I myself managed to get into one which however capsized and I jumped into the sea and swam from the ship. There was a terrific explosion when the torpedo hit the ship. When I turned round after swimmng a few strokes the ship had completely disappeared. I did not see any of the men reported missing. After about two hours in the water I was picked up by a Destroyer.

I have nothing more to add to that mentioned in the written statement.

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The second witness to appear was, Reidar Bergeton Jensen A.B. ... who stated as follows:

I was relieved from my watch at midnight and went forward on the deck to chat with other members of the crew. I had heard several planes passing over and we decided to remain on deck. About one a.m. I could hear the planes from the direction of France circling above us and started to drop flares. I went straight to the machine gun on the port side and started firing at the flares. This kept on until about two o'clock when I saw a torpedo coming towards us on the port side. I clung to the gun waiting for the explosion which came immediately. I could not get to the port boat but got into the stb. boat. The ship however, listed so heavily that I had to get out again and was dragged down with the ship. I saw the son of the first officer and he had damaged both of his legs I helped him along until we were both picked up by a Destroyer about an hour and half afterwards.

I have nothing more to add.

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Next appeared as third witness, Fireman Karl Torgersen ... who stated as follows:-

I was not on watch at the time but I was on deck. About 12.30 a.m. I could see flares in the sky and heard the sound of planes above. We were all ordered aft. where most of the men were. About 2 o'clock a.m. somebody shouted that a torpedo was coming and immediately afterwards there was a terrific explosion. I got into the port liefboat but was at once thrown overboard. I think I spent about one and a half hours in the water when I was picked up by a British tramp steamer with four others from my ship. Three of us remained on deck in the galley but the Chief Engineer and the Steward went below to change clothes. About 7 o'clock in the morning the British ship I was on was attacked by planes and hit by two bombs. I got into the lifeboat which soon afterwards capsized. I clung to the bottom of the lifeboat and was, about half an hour later, picked up buy a Dutch steamer and brought ashore together with the second mate of the "RØSTEN".

I lost all my papers on the British ship.

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