M/T Caledonia

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Appeared the vessel´s master, Ragnvald Andresen, who produced a written report, prepared by him with reference to the occurrence, ...

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The captain referred to the report as his evidence and added that he was on the bridge when the explosion occurred, but saw neither U-boats nor aeroplanes. One of the British soldiers, who was on watch at the machine gun on the boat deck, told us afterwards that he had seen a torpedo coming.

The secret convoy instructions were lying in a zinc case on the bridge. It was perforated with holes and had pieces of iron at the bottom. It went down with the ship. When the casualty occurred, the 2nd officer was on watch on the bridge, A.B. Seaman Kaare Henriksen was look-out man on the top bridge and A.B. Seaman Arne Struck was at the wheel. The captain is certain that every one in the engine room was killed instantly and that it was quite impossible to do anything to assist them. It was also impossible to render any assistance to the five men, who had to jump into the sea, as the flames were standing high up in the air and explosions were continually occurring on the "Oilfield". The captain on the salvage vessel "Zaafaran" was at once made aware of the five men who were lying in the sea, but he found it quite impossible to do anything to find them. About half an hour after the explosion a British aeroplane arrived which circled for a while above and to the leeward of the flames.

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The 1st witness (chief engineer Erling Johan Gottlieb) stated that he was coming out on deck from his cabin when the explosion occurred. He was thrown by the blast on to the rail and sustained slight injuries to his left leg and back by objects which fell down on him. Afterwards he tried to get down into the engine room from the starboard side, but the door was blocked and it was impossible to force it open. Nor was it possible to get into the passage to the cabins. No cries for help were heard from the engine room and possible cries would anyhow have been drowned by the noise from escape of steam and loeakage of air and the sound of masses of water pouring in. The witness saw three of the men who were in the sea, but considered it quite impossible to save them on account of the flames. Continuous attempts were made in order to get near to them, but they had to turn round on account of the heat.

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The 2nd witness (2nd officer Ragnar Silkebekken) stated that he was on watch on the bridge when the explosion occurred. He had been there since 12 o´clock. At 13.15 o´clock he saw that one of the aftermost vessels in the convoy was torpedoed. But otherwise the witness saw neither U-boats nor aeroplanes. The witness otherwise made statement in accordance with that of the vessel´s master and what had been entered in the report. The witness added that after the first vessel had been torpedoed no alteration of the speed or course of the convoy was made.

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The 3rd witness (A.B. Seaman Arne Struck) stated that he had been at the whell for about half an hour when the explosion occurred. The witness made statement entirely in accordance with that of the previous witness in so far as the explosion itself was concerned and the attempts that were made in order to save the 5 men who had jumped into the sea.

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The 4th witness (3rd engineer Erling Gjessing) stated that he had come off watch at 16 o´clock and was in his cabin when the explosion occurred about half an hour after. It was found impossible to get the door open at the after end on the port side. He got out through a watertigth iron door opening at the forward end. The witness stated that he has no clear idea as to what went on after he had come out on deck and later down in the lifeboat as he was somewhat dazed after the shock and the nervous strain.

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The captain´s report was read out to the witnesses who had nothing to remark about same. the witnesses declared themselves in complete agreement that everything was done w2hich could be done in order to save those who lost their lives.

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