D/S Einar Jarl

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Appeared the vessel's master, Johan Herfjord, who produced a written report, prepared by him, dated Glasgow the 19/3 1941, with reference to the occurence. ...

The captain referred to the report as his evidence and added that the vessel had 1 man above the manning scale, and that lifeboats and lifesaving equipment were in the predescribed condition. All lights were blacked out. There was fresh south-easterly wind and some sea. When the casualty occurred, the 2nd officer was on watch on the bridge, A. B. Seaman Ole Gjærde was at the wheel. Ordinary seaman Robert Lyon was look-out man on the bridge. The captain had just left the bridge when the causalty occurred in order to go down and put on a pair of galoshes. He had not heard any drone from an aeroplane, but is most inclined to think that the casualty was caused by a torpedo from aeroplane. When they had come into the lifeboat they heard the drone of aeroplane and a lot of firing and some bomb explosions close by. The captian had brought with him the ship's papers in a despatch case, which he had thrown into the lifeboat when it was being lowered. Later, the despatch case could not be found so that it has probably fallen into the sea. The secret convoy papers were put into a canvas bag and thrown into the sea. A sinker had been attached to the bag to make it sure that it would go to the bottom. The lost Greek fireman Necoladakis Anastasios was 57 years old and had been signed on at Piraeus in September 1939.

In addition to all the ship's papers, all the crew's papers were also lost.

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The 1st witness (Arnt Arntsen, 2. styrmann) made statement entirely in conformity with the captain. He had absolutely not heard any drone from aeroplane and is unable to make any statement as to whether the casualty was due to mine, torpedo or bomb. As far ast the witness could understand the explosion occurred fairly deep down in the ship just in way of the No. 1 hatch. When they had got into the lifeboat the sound of an aeroplane, as if light-bombs were being dropped round about, was heard.

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The 2nd witness (Jacob Jacobsen, 1. maskinist) stated that he had been in the engine room when the casualty occurred. He noticed a violent report and immediately afterwards signal came from the bridge to stop the engine, which was working quite satisfactorily. All who were in the engine room at once went up on deck, and the fore deck was then already under water. The witness did not see anything of the lost fireman who was off duty when the causalty occured.

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The 3rd witness (Ole Gjærde, matros) stated that he had been at the wheel for about 1 hour when the casualty occurred. He had not either heard or seen anything suspicious and is unable to make any statement as to whether the explosion was due to mine, torpedo or bomb. As they heard an aeroplane after they had got into the lifeboat, the witness is most inclined to think that the casualty was due to torpedo from an aeroplane.

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The 4th witness (Harry Øien, lemper) stated that he was down on the stokehold platform when the explosion occurred. He at once ran up in order to fetch a lifebelt in is cabin. On the way up from his cabin he met the Greek fireman who was then on his way down, presumably to his cabin. He asked what was the matter, and the witness the replied that the ship had probably been torpedoed. The witness is of opinion that the fireman could in all probability not manage to get up, if he intended to go to his cabin, as at that time the vessel was alread slanting rather heavily. Otherwise the witness thought that he (the fireman) had gone with th others to the lifeboat and had not gone to his cabin.

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