The Sinking Of The Merchantman "Olivegrove" - September 7th 1939

[spidge]

The Sinking Of The Merchantman "Olivegrove" - September 7th 1939

With the knowledge of the embarrassment caused by the sinking of the Athenia just four days previous, Kapitänleutnant Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky commanding U-boat U33 on September 7th 1940, spotted the merchantman, the 4,060 ton Olivegrove steaming about 400 miles south-west of Lands Ends in nor-nor-east direction at just under 10 knots. The olivegrove was commanded by Captain James Barnetson and the ship was carrying a cargo of raw sugar from Cuba bound for Britain. The voyage across the Atlantic was an uneventful one and had been free from any enemy intervention until being spotted by the U33.

Read more here:

See document link 20 at the bottom of the page!

Preparations in Britain

[Hugh]

ss OLIVEGROVE offical number 160236 built in 1928 for the Grove Line.

Torpedoed by U-33 (von Dresky) just 4 days into WWII. Unknown to Captain Barnetson, von Dresky had sent a signal requesting assistance for the crew of the OLIVEGROVE (This was pre LACONIA incident). For the next nine hours U-33 circled the lifeboats at a discreet distance. When the liner WASHINGTON arrived at about 9.30 that night, von Dresky fired two Very lights before making off to the west. As he watched the U-boat motor away, Capt. Barnetson was forced to conclude that he had received his first taste of the war at the hands of a gentleman. Would it always be like this in the coming years, he wondered.

All thirty three crew were picked up by WASHINGTON and landed safely in Cork twenty-four hours later.

OLIVEGROVE was Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky's first victim. His subsequent war record was neither long nor impressive. U-33 sank ten more ships, six were fishing boats. U-33 was sunk in the Firth of Clyde by HMS GLEANER on 12 February 1940. The owners of the OLIVEGROVE (Grove Line) fared little better, losing their entire fleet of eleven vessels to the U-boats during the war.

Incidently my late father served on OLIVEGROVE in January 1939 although he was not serving on her at the time she was lost.

Regards
Hugh

[spidge]

Originally Posted by Hugh

ss OLIVEGROVE offical number 160236 built in 1928 for the Grove Line.

Torpedoed by U-33 (von Dresky) just 4 days into WWII. Unknown to Captain Barnetson, von Dresky had sent a signal requesting assistance for the crew of the OLIVEGROVE (This was pre LACONIA incident). For the next nine hours U-33 circled the lifeboats at a discreet distance. When the liner WASHINGTON arrived at about 9.30 that night, von Dresky fired two Very lights before making off to the west. As he watched the U-boat motor away, Capt. Barnetson was forced to conclude that he had received his first taste of the war at the hands of a gentleman. Would it always be like this in the coming years, he wondered.

All thirty three crew were picked up by WASHINGTON and landed safely in Cork twenty-four hours later.

OLIVEGROVE was Hans-Wilhelm von Dresky's first victim. His subsequent war record was neither long nor impressive. U-33 sank ten more ships, six were fishing boats. U-33 was sunk in the Firth of Clyde by HMS GLEANER on 12 February 1940. The owners of the OLIVEGROVE (Grove Line) fared little better, losing their entire fleet of eleven vessels to the U-boats during the war.

Incidently my late father served on OLIVEGROVE in January 1939 although he was not serving on her at the time she was lost.

Regards
Hugh

By the way Hugh, have you ever seen the movie San Demetrio - London?

[Hugh]

Hi Spidge,

Yes I have seen the film but it was long ago - excellent if I remember rightly. One of the few films that recognised the heroism of the Merchant Navy at war. To be honest I can't think of another one.

SAN DEMETRIO official number 166623 built in 1938 for Eagle Oil Shipping Company. The incident that the film captures is the 1940 attack on convoy HX 84 in 1940. SAN DEMETRIO was attacked and set on fire by the german pocket battleship ADMIRAL SCHEER. SAN DEMETRIO's master, Captain Waite, believed that the fire could set off the aviation fuel at any moment so he gave the order to abandon ship. Despite the ship remaining under fire from the SCHEER, the crew escaped in two lifeboats. SCHEER then turned her attention to other ships of the rapidly scattering convoy.

The crew later boarded the vessel and succeded in getting her home. MV San Demetrio - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tanker SAN DEMETRIO was torpedoed and sunk later in the war (17.3.1942) by U-404 (von Bulow), part of 'Operation Paukenschlag' (Drumbeat), the third wave of twelve U-boats, in the Atlantic NW of Cape Charles, Virginia, in position 37.03N 73.50W while sailing independently on a voyage from Baltimore 14.3.1942 to the UK via Halifax NS, with a cargo of 4000 tons of alcohol and 7000 tons of motor spirit. The Master, Capt Conrad Vidot, 26 crew and 5 gunners were rescued after 2 days by US ship BETA and landed at Norfolk, Virginia. 16 crew and 3 gunners were lost. Capt C. Vidot was awarded the Lloyd's War Medal for bravery at sea.

Regards
Hugh