World War IIDS Goviken

SS Goviken was on a journey from Aden to Lourenco Marques, carrying 750 ton of salt ballast. On the 29th of June 1942, the vessel was torpedoed by the Japanese U-boat I-20 in the position of 1315S, 4135E. The first torpedo hit the ship’s afterpeak and the collision bulkhead was blown in. The crew had barely readied two of the lifeboats when the second torpedo detonated and both of the boats sunk. The crew drifted with their lifevests on for the rest of the night and when dawn broke two Norwegian officers and 11 Chinese sailors had disappeared. On the 30th of June two Norwegian and four Chinese drifted on the waters till afternoon when they were saved by the Swedish Ekaren. Captain Georg Heldal, survived three torpedo attacks within a week, and he, along with the 2nd machinist and four Chinese, were saved by a British merchant ship.