MS JAMAICA

1936 Built as refrigerated cargo ship GUIBA by Burmeister & Wains Maskin og Skibsbyggeri, Copenhagen, Denmark for Skibs-A/S Rose (Gustav B. Bull), Sandefjord. Delivery in October.
1938 The company Skips A/S Rose transferred to Mr. Anders Jahre and Anders Jahre took over the management of the company. Name of ship unchanged.
1939 Renamed JAMAICA, same company.
1940 JAMAICA arrived Gibraltar on 23/04-1940, some days after the war broke out in Norway. Joined the Nortraships fleet. Joined her first convoy out from Jamaica in July.
Damaged by a mine explosion off Mackenzie Buoy on 29/10-1940, but managed to get in to Avonmouth the next day. She was stuck to the shipyard for repair the next 13 months for repair.
1942 Fire broke out in the engineroom during a vovage from New York to Liverpool. She managed, also this time, to reach a port and this time her destination. But she had to be sunk along the quay to get control of the fire. Result was another 8 months to spend on a shipyard for repair.
1943 Departed the shipyard on 04/03-1943, heading for New York in ballast, under command of her captain, Mr. Arnfinn Bergan. She met her destiny, was torpedoed and sunk on 07/03-1943 by German submarine U-221 in posistion 52.00N/27.00W. Captain Arnfinn Bergan and 20 of his crew lost their lives. The other 17 was rescued. Captain Arnfinn Bergan was honoured by the company after the war by using his name on one of their new whale catchers. A former re-built Flower-class corvette, the former HMS AUBRETHIA.

From an edition of company A. Jahres internmagazine, JAHRE-NYTT
What happend during the torpedoing?
The highly priesed 2-Volume book work about Nortraships fleet, who give a description of the norwegian merchant fleets offer during the 2.world war have met strong strong critics amongst seamen and warsailors. It's been said that the costly piece of work has been a tragedy  and not a honour of the warsailors. This we could read in the newspaper the Fedrelandsvennen last summer.
Since we want to mention this critics here in our paper, it's not at least caused by the fact of a torpedoing of the company Anders Jahres MV JAMAICA did get a presentation not complying with the fact those sailors involved have told. In a year of a jubilee it's also worth to remember those events of the companies history described as tragedies, namely the sinking of the 2600 tonns ship MS JAMAICA , in March of 1943.

MS JAMAICA was a fast reefer, at only 2.600 tons, built in 1937, and already in 1941 destroyed by a magnetic mine in the Bristol channel, without sinking. She was repaired, and with her 17 knots she was a very valuable ship in the dangerous trading of the Atlantic. Her speed also did so she could og alone, without any convoy. After 18 trips across the Atlantic, she finally meet her destiny in March 1943. Loss of ships was very many and the loss of lives was of great concern.
After departure Liverpool the ship had two days out to sea when hit by a german torpedo. The torpedo hit admidship and within a time of two minutes the ship went down. 21 men followed in the deep, amongs them the captain, Arnfinn Bergan, from Sandefjord. 17 survivals was left alone struggling in the sea.

One of the survivals, able seaman Eilif Henriksen, told to JAHRE NYTT nr. 3 1973 a short description of the incident. Let us firstly mention that Henriksen under the dramatic circumstances show a strength of mind and ability of organizing the rescue work at great respect. After 22 days in the lifeboat the survivals reached finally the Hebrides. We shall not go too much in details of what happened, but just mention that Henriksen was honoured with the St. Olavsmedaljen for his effort, he saved 17 of his shipmates. In addition, we will refer to our report in the mentioned issue of JAHRE NYTT.

Let us then briefly tell what happened during the actual torpedoing, as described by the survivors:
17 men lay battling the sea after the boat had sunk. A lifeboat and a raft floated up, as well as the motorboat, which came up with bottom up. The submarine circled around, then took a man, the 3rd engineer, on board, interrogated him, after which he was simply hauled out into the sea again. The submarine commander was a rather young man, hard and brutal, probably after Hitler's best brand. After this episode, the submarine set full speed towards the small lifeboat and the three who had gotten into it had to jump into the water again. Sailor Henriksen, the northerner, immediately stands out as the right commander, and with his knowledge of small boats, he convinces his comrades that they must not try to get the motorboat on the right keel before the submarine has disappeared. After six hours, they get it on the right keel and get up in it.
During the legal sea declaration, it is documented that the submarine - identified as U 221 - sank the lifeboat, under conditions that indicated that it had been done intentionally. Furthermore, the loss of human life was so great, because the submarine did not take human considerations into account, but injured and killed Norwegian sailors who plunged for life in the sea.
So what does the author of the Nortraship book write? Yes, that the submarine commander had difficulties with the maneuvering, and that the collision with the lifeboat was an accident.
For the sake of completeness, let us include a few words from an article in Sjøfartstidende on June 25, 1977. There, sea captain Arne Hartmark writes that he can agree that outraged war sailors criticize the author of the Nortraship book because he acquits the German on too thin a base material. the submarine commander. On the other hand, it can be argued that the survivors were not mentally fit after such horrific experiences to give a truthful account of what happened.
It is not our task with this article to pass any categorical judgment on one or the other. But the event may be worth remembering.

The memorial hall in Stavern, Noway writes:
JAMAICA was on 7 March 1943 for westbound on an independent course with 15 knots speed in position 52 N and 27 W in ballast. The same day she was torpedoed by German U-221 (Captain Lieutenant Hans-Hartwig Trojer). The ship broke in two and sank in two minutes. 21 men died, while 17 survivors had four lifeboats put out. The motorboat was taken off the traction and floated up with the bottom in the air. The lifeboats were also damaged. The submarine came up right in front of one of the lifeboats with seven men. The submarine commander asked for the ship's name and got it, after which he drove forward and into the side of the lifeboat. Most on board clung to the wreckage, while the 3rd engineer jumped into the sea and was picked up by the submarine. There they emptied his life jacket and raised him on the sea again. Afterwards, the submarine drove around among people lying and swimming in the sea. It eventually became quiet, and a report from one of the shooters states that they were sure that some were run down. 13 men in the motorboat were picked up on March 18 by HMS Barrage. Three seriously injured were transferred to a corvette and taken to Gibraltar as soon as possible. The others were landed in Plymouth on March 26. The four in the gig entered the Isle of Barra on March 29. 22 men died.

Those who died with JAMAICA were: Master, Arnfinn Bergan. 1. officer, Samson Myrdal, 2. officer, Harald Bærulfsen. Offiser, Charles Jakob Berg Bomann. Wireless operator, Erling Johan Lammenes. Boatswain, Aksel Martinius Andresen. Seaman/shooter, Anton Ragnar Johansen. Seaman/shooter, Gunnar Hellerud. Seaman/shooter, Arne Sigvald Johansen. Shooter, Thor Hauff Thoresen. Seaman, Torvald Dale. Seaman, Arne Nilsen. Chief engineer, Rolf Henrik Larsen. Electrician, Thoralf Kallin Sedolfsen. Eng. Assistent, Ingvald Karl Storebø. Motorman,E rik Normann Gulbrandsen. Motorman, Harald Strandskog. Greaser, Rolf Rynning. Engineboy, Bjarne Edin Jacobsen. Cook, Christian M. Solberg. Cook, John Karsten Jensen

 

Avisutklipp fra Anders Jahres rederi's internavis, JAHRE-NYTT
Hva hendte da Jamaica ble torpedert? Det høyt lovpriste 2-binds verk om Nortraships flåte, som gir en fremstilling av den norske handelsflåtes innsats under den 2. verdenskrig, har møtt sterk kritikk blant sjøfolk og krigsseilere. Bl. a. har det vært hevdet at det store, kostbare verk er blitt en tragedie og ikke en honnør for krigsseilerne. Slik leste vi iallfall i den store Sørlandsavisen Fedrelandsvennen ifjor sommer.
Når vi gjerne vil omtale denne kritikk her i vår avis, er det ikke minst fordi torpederingen av Anders Jahres MS JAMAICA har fått en fremstilling som lite stemmer med det sjøfolk selv har fortalt.

I et jubileumsår kan det også ,være verdt å minnes de begivenheter i rederiets historie som må betegnes som tragedier; derfor har vi i dette nr. av vår avis omtalt den sørgelige som skjedde i 1952, da et fly med 25 Kosmos-hvalfangere styrtet i Telemark, og åtte av fem mistet livet, sammen med tre av flyets besetning. Også en annen tragedie vil vi gjerne minnes, nemlig torpederingen av Jahres 2600 tonns skip MS JAMAICA , i mars 1943.
MS JAMAICA var en hurtiggående kjølebåt, bare 2.600 tonn, bygd 1937, og allerede i 1941 ødelagt av en magnetisk mine i Bristolkanalen, uten å synke. Den ble reparert, og med sine 17 mil måtte den bli en ekstra verdifull båt i den farlige Atlanterhavsfarten. Hurtigheten gjorde også at den fikk gå alene, ikke i konvoy. Etter 18 turer over havet møtte den sin skjebne i mars 1943. Torpederingen var på denne tid mange, og tapene bekymringsfulle.
Etter avgang fra Liverpool fikk skipet to døgns reise ut i havet en torpedo fra en tysk ubåt. Det var en fulltreffer midtskips, og i løpet av et par minutter var skipet gått ned. 21 mann fulgte med, deriblant kapteinen, Arnfinn Bergan, fra Sandefjord. 17 overlevende ble liggende og bakse i sjøen.

En av de overlevende, matros Eilif Henriksen, ga i JAHRE NYTT nr. 3 1973 en skildring av forløpet. La oss da først og fremst nevne at Eilif Henriksen under det dramatiske hendelsesforløp viste en sinnsro og en evne til å organisere redningsarbeidet som det står ry om. Etter 22 døgn i livbåt nådde de overlevende endelig inn til Hebriderne. Vi skal her ikke gå inn på detaljer i det som skjedde, men bare nevne at Henriksen ble tildelt St. Olavsmedaljen for sin innsats, han reddet 17 av sine skipskamerater. For øvrig vil vi henvise til vår beretning i det nevnte nr. av JAHRE NYTT.

La oss da i korthet fortelle hva som skjedde under selve torpederingen, slik det er skildret av de overlevende :
"17 mann lå og bakset i sjøen etter at båten var gått ned. En livbåt og en flåte fløt opp, dessuten motorbåten, som kom opp med bunnen i været. Ubåten kretset omkring, tok deretter en mann, 3. maskinisten, ombord, forhørte ham, hvoretter han rett og slett ble hivd ut i sjøen igjen. Ubåtsjefen var en ganske ung kar, hard og brutal, sikkert etter Hitlers beste merke. Etter denne episoden satte ubåten full fart mot den lille livbåten og de tre som hadde karret seg opp i den, måtte hive seg ut i vannet igjen. Matros Henriksen, nordlendingen, skiller seg straks ut som den rette befalshavende, og med sine kunnskaper om småbåter får han overbevist sine kamerater om at de ikke må prøve å få motorbåten på rett kjøl før ubåten er forsvunnet. Etter seks timer får de den på rett kjøl og kommer seg opp i den.
Under den rettslige sjøforklaring blir det dokumentert at ubåten - identifisert som U 221 - rente livbåten i senk, under forhold som tydet på at det var gjort med forsett. Videre at tapet av menneskeliv ble så stort, fordi ubåten ikke tok menneskelige hensyn, men kvestet og drepte norske sjøfolk som kavet for livet i sjøen.
Hva skriver så forfatteren av Nortrashipboken? Jo, at ubåtsjefen hadde besværligheter med manøvreringen og at kollisjonen med livbåten var et uhell.
La oss da for fullstendighetens skyld ta med noen ord fra en artikkel i Sjøfartstidende 25. juni 1977. Der skriver sjøkaptein Arne Hartmark at han kan være enig i at forargede krigsseilere kritiserer Nortrashipbokens forfatter fordi han på et altfor tynt grunnlagsmateriale så å si frikjenner den tyske ubåtsjefen. På den annen side kan det vel hevdes at de overlevende ikke var psykisk skikket etter slike grufulle opplevelser til å gi et sannferdig referat av det som skjedde.
Det er ikke vår oppgave med denne artikkelen å felle noen kategorisk dom over den ene eller den annen. Men hendelsen kan være verdt å minnes"

Minnehallen i Stavern skriver:
JAMAICA lå 7. mars 1943 for vestgående på uavhengig kurs med 15 knops fart i posisjon 52 N og 27 W i ballast. Samme dag ble hun torpedert av tysk U-221 ( Kapitänleutnant Hans-Hartwig Trojer ). Skipet brakk i to og sank i løpet av to minutter. 21 mann omkom, mens 17 overlevende fikk satt ut fire livbåter. Motorbåten ble tatt av dragsuget og fløt opp med bunnen i været. Livbåtene var også skadet. Ubåten kom opp like foran en av livbåtene med sju mann. Ubåtsjefen spurte etter skipets navn og fikk det, hvoretter han kjørte forover og inn i siden på livbåten. De fleste om bord klamret seg til vrakrestene, mens 3. maskinisten hoppet i sjøen og ble tatt opp av ubåten. Der tømte de redningsvesten hans og hev ham på sjøen igjen. Etterpå kjørte ubåten rundt blant folk som lå og svømte i sjøen. Det ble stille etterhvert, og i en rapport fra en av skytterne heter det at de var sikre på at enkelte ble kjørt ned. 13 mann i motorbåten ble tatt opp 18. mars av HMS Barrage. Tre hardt sårede ble overført til korvett og ført hurtigst mulig til Gibraltar. De øvrige ble landsatt i Plymouth 26. mars. De fire i giggen kom inn til Isle of Barra 29. mars. 22 mann omkom.

De som omkom med JAMAICA var: Skipsfører, Arnfinn Bergan. 1.styrmann,Samson Myrdal, 2.styrmann,Harald Bærulfsen. Styrmann, Charles Jakob Berg Bomann. Telegrafist, Erling Johan Lammenes. Båtsmann, Aksel Martinius Andresen. Matros/skytter, Anton Ragnar Johansen. Matros/skytter, Gunnar Hellerud. Matros/skytter, Arne Sigvald Johansen. Skytter, Thor Hauff Thoresen. Sjømann, Torvald Dale. Sjømann, Arne Nilsen. Maskinsjef, Rolf Henrik Larsen. Elektriker, Thoralf Kallin Sedolfsen. Maskinassistent, Ingvald Karl Storebø. Motormann,E rik Normann Gulbrandsen. Motormann, Harald Strandskog. Smører, Rolf Rynning. Maskingutt, Bjarne Edin Jacobsen. Kokk, Christian M. Solberg. Kokk, John Karsten Jensen