CORPUS CHRISTI TX Texas c1932 RP M/S FERNLANE

Description: Description: This is a vintage (circa 1932) real photo postcard entitled, "Corpus Christi, Texas." The card depicts the M/S Fernlane, a Norwegian Merchant Ship in the waters off Corpus Christi. The merchant ship was sunk by a torpedo during WWII on May 7, 1941 off the coast of Africa. All crew members and dog survived.According to a web site:Fernlane departed Gourock on April 17 and joined a convoy in order to head to Freetown. She had a cargo of 1585 tons salt, 103 tons iron constructions, 8 gliders and 26 loaded trucks from Manchester (she had left Manchester on Apr. 4, according to the archive document). On Apr. 23, she left the convoy and continued south alone (this conflicts with A. Hague's detachment date of Apr. 26 - for info, Convoy OG 59, in which she's listed, was a Gibraltar bound convoy. It originated in Liverpool on Apr. 15-1941 and arrived Gibraltar on the 28. Will be added to in individual page in my Convoys section, in the meantime, see OG 59 on the page listing ships in all OG convoys. Bjørkhaug, Hjalmar Wessel, Ila, President de Vogue and Solsten are also listed).At about 08:25 GMT on May 7-1941, she was torpedoed by the Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli (Cossato), position 10 02N 20 17W. The first torpedo hit in the afterpart of the ship, setting the engine room on fire, but those who were on duty there managed to get to the boat deck, and stopped the engine from there. The ship had just been making a hard to port 75° course alteration when the torpedo hit and continued to swing to port after the explosion; the wheel and therefore the steering had been affected by the explosion.All 4 lifeboats were launched, 3 of which were ordered to row away from the ship, while the radio aereal, which had fallen down was rigged up again by the carpenter and the 3rd mate whereupon the captain sent out a distress call* (the radio operator had already gone in one of the other boats). When a second torpedo was observed on the port side the remaining men, including the captain also took to the lifeboat, and just after this boat had set off (from starboard) the torpedo detonated in the engine room (at about 08:40), causing Fernlane to list heavily to port and start to sink. The sub now surfaced about 2 n. miles off to port, went around in front of the ship and sent off a third torpedo which hit amidships on the starboard side. She listed heavily to starboard, broke amidships and sank quickly by the bow. The sub went under and disappeared out of sight.*The cruiser Dorsetshire had caught the radio signals but was not in a position to be able to assist. (Charles Hocking gives the position as "about 400 miles from Sierra Leone", claiming a German U-boat was the culprit).The entire crew of 32 and the 3 passengers (and a dog?) survived. After having transferred some food, water and equipment from a nearby raft the motor boat took the other 3 boats in tow at 11:00 and headed for Bissagos Islands. When the petrol was almost used up on May 10 they decided to save the rest until they were closer to land, so the boats set sail. Around 22:00 that night they saw land, but decided to wait until daylight before attempting to land. Early the next morning, May 11 they continued along the coast to look for signs of an inhabited spot and when they saw some houses on the beach at around 08:00 they went in. They had landed at Carabella Island, where they were fed and given lodgings, and after the motorboat had been overhauled and more petrol added they continued to Bissau on the 13th, with arrival that same evening. With the assistance of the British consul they were equipped with the necessary clothes etc.The 3 passengers were given passage to Freetown on a British cable ship on May 18 while the others had to wait until May 26 before they could find a ship that was willing to take all of them from Bissau, arriving Freetown that same afternoon, via Bathurst with the Portuguese M/S Africa Ocidental. The British radio operator had taken ill on the voyage from Bathurst and was transferred to the British hospital ship Oxfordshire. On June 6, 25 men including the captain departed Freetown for Takoradi with the British passenger vessel M/S Abosso. They were landed at Cape Coast Castle on June 16, continuing to Takoradi by bus, then left for New York with M/S Bajamar on June 20. The following 7 had remained in Freetown to await passage to the U.K.: Radio Operator A. Hastings, Boatswain A. Ellingsen, Able Seaman K. Bergland, Ordinary Seamen H. Rabba and K. Malmquist, as well as the 2 Chinese crew members who were to be sent to Singapore from the U.K.The maritime hearings were held in New York (date? Bajamar had arrived New York on July 9 - see her voyage record for this period) with the captain, the 1st mate, the 2nd engineer, Mechanic Olsen and Ordinary Seaman Raknes appearing.Enrico Tazzoli headed south after sinking Fernlane and sank M/T Alfred Olsen a few days later (on May 10).Publisher/Photographer: Unknown. Postmark: 1932 - Corpus Christi, Texas.Text: "Dear Great Mae:- I have just heard of your candidacy for Treasurer of Cameron County. Hope you are elected. I am sure you will be. They couldn't find a more competet and courteous body for the position I am sure. Hope you the best of success. Lovingly, Fannie Ward Boyd."To: Miss Great M. Harris, La Feria, Texas.

Price: 24.99 USD

Location: Stillwater, Minnesota

End Time: 2024-02-16T18:06:48.000Z

Shipping Cost: 4 USD