→Description: rm surplus ref |
m what kind of tons |
||
| Line 35: | Line 35: | ||
| Header caption= |
| Header caption= |
||
| Ship class= |
| Ship class= |
||
| Ship tonnage=4,444 |
| Ship tonnage={{GT|4,444}} |
||
| Ship displacement= |
| Ship displacement= |
||
| Ship length={{convert|117.4|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} |
| Ship length={{convert|117.4|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} |
||
| Line 59: | Line 59: | ||
==Description== |
==Description== |
||
The vessel was a 4,444 |
The vessel was a {{GT|4,444}} cargo ship, built in 1929 by [[Akers Mekaniske Verksted]] in [[Oslo]], Norway, as ''Fernglen''. She had [[yard number]] 434.<ref name=Miramar>{{csr|register=MSI|id=3007978 |shipname=Sinfra |accessdate=18 August 2015}}</ref> |
||
The ship was {{convert|117.4|m|ft|0}} long, with a beam of {{convert|16.7|m|ft|0}}. She was propelled by two [[diesel engine]]s, which gave her a top speed of {{convert|12.5|kn|km/h}}.<ref name=Miramar/> |
The ship was {{convert|117.4|m|ft|0}} long, with a beam of {{convert|16.7|m|ft|0}}. She was propelled by two [[diesel engine]]s, which gave her a top speed of {{convert|12.5|kn|km/h}}.<ref name=Miramar/> |
||
Revision as of 20:33, 18 August 2015
Sinfra was a French cargo ship, which sank on 19 October 1943 at Suda Bay, Crete, killing some 2,098 Italian POWs.
Description
The vessel was a 4,444 GT cargo ship, built in 1929 by Akers Mekaniske Verksted in Oslo, Norway, as Fernglen. She had yard number 434.[1]
The ship was 117.4 metres (385 ft) long, with a beam of 16.7 metres (55 ft). She was propelled by two diesel engines, which gave her a top speed of 12.5 knots (23.2 km/h).[1]
History
Fernglen was launched on 15 May 1929, and completed in July of the same year. She was built for A/S Glittre of Oslo, Norway. In 1934 she was sold to the Stockholm, Sweden-based company Rederi A/B Jamaica and renamed Sandhamn. Five years later she was sold on to Cie Generale de Nav a Vapeur Cyprien Fabre of Marseille, France. The new French owners renamed her Sinfra.[1]
In 1942, the German occupiers of France confiscated the ship. The Germans retained the French name of the vessel.[1]
Transporting prisoners of war
The Greek island of Crete had been captured by the Germans in the Battle of Crete in May 1941, and was occupied by a mixed German-Italian force. The Italian garrison unit was the 51st Siena Infantry Division, consisting of 21,700 men, which occupied the easternmost prefecture of Lasithi.[citation needed]
On 8 September 1943 the Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces was signed, and the Italians in Crete and elsewhere were disarmed by the Germans without major problems. As elsewhere, they were given the choice to continue the war alongside Germany, or to be sent to the Reich to perform forced labor.[citation needed]
A minority chose to continue the fight and formed the Legione Italiana Volontaria Creta.[citation needed]
The disaster
On 19 October 1943, 2,460 prisoners (2,389 Italians, 71 Greek) were crammed in the cargo hold of the ship to be transported to the Greek mainland. There were also 204 Germans on board.[citation needed] At Suda Bay, the ship was attacked by USAAF B-25s and RAF Beaufighters and sunk. 2,098 POWs drowned.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Sinfra (3007978)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
Recent Comments