The RIGEL Underway

The RIGEL Underway

SS RIGEL: Tonnage: 3828 gross tons, 6850 deadweight tons Dimensions: 367.5' LOA x 51.5' Beam x 22.6' Draft Machinery: 2 x 6 cylinder B&W diesel engines207  indicated hp Speed: 11 knots \Delivered in Aug.-1924 from Burmeister & Wains Maskin og Skibsbyggeri, Copenhagen, Denmark as RIGEL to Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab, Bergen. In general tramping, then on T/C to misc. companies from 1925. Operated on Den norske Syd-Amerika Linje service from 1938, which was owned by Det Bergenske Dampkibsselskab, A/S J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi, and Fred. Olsen & Co. WW II: Requisitioned as transport for the German forces in Norway on Aug. 16-1940, at first with a Norwegian crew and under the Norwegian flag, but had a German crew from Nov. 2-1944 (German flag). Torpedoed, bombed and sunk by aircraft from carrier HMS IMPLACABLE near Tjøtta, Helgeland, Norway on November 27, 1944 when on a southbound voyage, having departed Bodø on November 26th with German soldiers as well as prisoners of war who had embarked in 3 different ports in Nordland where the Germans had camps. Only 415 survived, 2721 had been on board, including 2248 Russian and Yugoslavian prisoners of war in her holds. These numbers vary greatly according to source; Lauritz Pettersen, "Hjemmeflåten - Mellom venn og fiende" says 2838 were on board, 2248 of whom were Russian prisoners, 103 other prisoners (8 of whom were Norwegian, the rest German, mainly deserters from the Finland front), 29 crew, 3 pilots and 455 soldiers. 1 of the pilots and 1 female crew member were Norwegian. He states that 267 were rescued, 2571 died. 1 of the Norwegian prisoners survived and was able to get away with the help of the locals on shore, whereas the rest of the Norwegians perished. I believe the ship was in a convoy bound for Trondheim, and the prisoners were to be taken to German camps from there. Understandably, full panic ensued on the overcrowded ship when she was set on fire. The captain managed to beach her at Rosøya, where locals aided in the rescue operations. D/S Korsnes was also in the convoy and was very badly damaged in the attack, 6 died.Rigel's bow was visible in the area for years. In the summer of 1969 remains of the casualties were removed and buried at the war cemetery at Tjøtta. A few years later the wreck was broken up "in situ" by Høvding Skipsopphugging.https://www.warsailors.com/homefleetsingles/rigel.html