D/S Svint

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The Captain appeared and brought with him a written statement of the inciedent and a full list of the crew and stated as follows:

I have nothing to add to what is written in my statement except that there were four British gunners on board of whose names I have no record and who were not mentioned in the crew list. These four gunners were landed at Padstow where they were placed in charge of the D.E.M.S. AT the time of the attack on my ship I was in my cabin, but immediately I heard the aeroplane and before I could get on deck I heard three explosions. These explosions were extremely heavy in character. I immediately rushed up on to the boat deck when it was reported to me that there was a very big leakage in the engineroom. As mentioned in my statement I took all the necessary steps to meet the situation.

I gave full particulars of the sinking of the ship to the Receiver of Wrecks at the Custom House, Padstow. It was impossible for me to save the ships papers.

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Next appeared, as first witness, Chief Engineer Magne Hansen ... who stated verbally as follows:

I have read the Report made out by the Captain and entirely agree with what is stated therein. I was on watch from 12 o'clock (midnight) the 10th of July and was working in the engine room when I heard the guns from the portside being fired. Immediately afterwards I heard three terrific explosions, two in the port side, and it seemed as if the other bomb fell on the starboard side. These explosions caused the floor plates to be blown out of position and as the steam pipes were broken the whole of the engine room was filled with steam. Within three minutes of the explosions there was about two feet of water covering the floor of the engine room. I closed the valves of most of the steam pipes and rushed on deck to give my report to the Captaian. I then returned to the engine room whee I found a big leakage in the port side and water rushing into the engine room. I found it hopeless to do anything further in the matter as the pumps were useless and by now the engine room and stokehold were flooded. I went on deck and it was decided to ramain by the lifeboats until daylight, in case of further attacks. We were eventually taken off the ship by the lifeboat, sent from Padstow.

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The second witness appeared: Matros Knut Bjarne Holm ... who stated verbally as follows:

I came on watch at midtnight on the 10th of July and about twenty to twentyfive minutes afterwards I heard a plane coming towards the ship from the starboard side. I was at the wheel at the time and when the bombs dropped there was a gush of water right over the bridge. I then made my way to the boat deck and helped in recovering the port lifeboat which had become adrift. I saw the Chief Officer going to the starboard gun but have no knowledge whatsoever as to how he was killed.

I have read the Captain's statement with which I agree and to which I have nothing to add.

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As last witness appeared Hans Kristian Nilsen, 2nd Mate ... who stated verbally:

I have read the Captain's report and agree with all he has written. I came off watch at midnight and went down to the mess room. On leaving the mess-room to go to my cabin I heard the noise of an aeroplane and just afterwards saw a plane coming from the starboard side. Immediately there were two or three explosions and a big gush of water came over the ship. I then made my way up to the boat deck where I met the Captain and heaard the Cheif Engineer telling the Captain that water was rushing into the engine room. The Captain then told me to go up to the Bridge and send up rockets which I did. I saw there was a hole in the starboard side of the bridge close to the gun. The Captain asked me of I had seen the Chief Mate. I told him I had not seen the Chief Mate but as there was a large amount of debris on the bridge something might have happened to him. We were eventually taken by the lifeboat sent from Padstow and put ashore at Padstow.

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