World War IIDS Blink
SS Blink was on a journey from Charleston to the convoy port in Halifax with phosphate for Ipswich. On the 11th of February 1942, the vessel was hit by a north-eastern gale and rough seas. It was at this day that the boat was torpedoed by the German U-boat U-108 in position 3500N, 7227W, east of Cape Hatteras. 23 crew members gathered in the lifeboats, and it is assumed that five of the crew died in the explosion. Two men were observed on the deck after the lifeboat was in the water. The crew in the lifeboat yelled that they should dive into the sea, but instead the two lowered down a raft, this raft drifted away. This marked the start of one of the most tragic stories involving shipwrecked sailors during the war. The lifeboat with 23 passengers capsized several times and drifted around on the mercy of the seas and winds, and the passengers had water up to their chests. One man drowned, and this caused the loss of food and drinkable water to be lost. Some of the crew members went insane and died in the half sunken boat. On the 13th of February, there were only 11 men left in the lifeboat. The day after there were only six. At this they the survivors were rescued by the american SS Munroe and were brought to a hospital in Baltimore. 22 men perished in the sinking, including 14 Norwegians. 6 were rescued.
About DS Blink
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Nationality
Norway
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Built
1920
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Wrecked
11.02.1942
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Carrier
Knut Th. Einersen, Kristiania, Oslo
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Tonnage
4000 dvt
