World War IIDS Brant County
SS Brant County was on a journey in convoy with 60 ships from Halifax to the Great Britain loaded with 670 tons of explosives and a large amount of Carbide. The convoy was attacked by a total of 18 U-boats. Brant County was torpedoed at the 11th of March 1943 by a German U-boat U-757 in position 52N, 27W. When the torpedo hit it caused a huge explosion because of the dangerous cargo, and in a matter of seconds the ship was consumed by flames, gas and smoke. There were five men on the bridge and three of these managed to get down a support beam and then went astern towards the lifeboats. One man leapt from the bridge and drowned shortly afterwards. The last man on the bridge was the captain which perished in the flames. Three machinists died in the machine room. A lifeboat with 23 passengers managed to get away from the explosion, and while debris hailed down upon them they could see that a lifeboat they spotted earlier had now disappeared. After a half hour was the lifeboat with the 23 passengers found by a merchant ship. One were badly burnt and died quickly after they were rescued. 24 men died, amongst them were an ensign, six sergeants and a soldier.
About DS Brant County
-
Nationality
Norway
-
Built
1919
-
Wrecked
11.03.1943
-
Carrier
Det Bergenske Dampskipsselskap, Bergen
-
Tonnage
7875 tdv
