World War IIMS Tabor
MV Tabor was on a journey from Aden to Cape Town in ballast. This ship was torpedoed by the German U-boat U-506 at the 9th of March 1943 in the position 3820S, 2310W. Two men died in the explosion. The rest of the crew boarded the four lifeboats. The attacking uboat fired of another torpedo which annihilated Tabor completely. The surviving lifeboats met stormy weather and seas. Everything went fine with the boats for 10 days despite cold weather and taxing work to keep the boats empty of water. Two of the boats with 22 men in total landed at the 17th of March in Still Bay. During the night after the first arrival came the third boat to shore in Cans Bay. All communication with the fourth lifeboat was lost during the storm. This boat had capsized but the 12 survivors managed to flip the boat over and boarded it again, but the crew had no strength left and could not keep up with the task that was to keep the boat empty for water. a total of 11 of the passengers gave up and succumbed to the freezing waters at the 19th of March. The two last passengers kept rowing towards the shore until it hit a coral reef where they were aided by soldiers and were brought to medical aid in Bredasdorp, South Africa.
About MS Tabor
-
Nationality
Norway
-
Built
1936
-
Wrecked
09.03.1943
-
Carrier
Wilh. Wilhelmsen, Tønsberg
-
Tonnage
7610 dvt
