Født: Vennesla - 21 september 1907
Bosted: Kristiansand - Kristiansand kommune.
Død: 23 august 1941
Trygve Ludvik Larsen seilte i alliert fart som maskinist på D/S ”Inger”, og omkom 23. august 1941, da skipet ble torpedert ca. 30 nautiske mil nordvest av Butt of Lewis, Skottland, på vei fra Milford Haven til Island.
Kildene forteller:
Krigsseilerregisteret skriver:23 august 1941:
D/S ”Inger” ble torpedert og senket av tysk U-båt U-143 ( Kapitänleutnant Harald Gelhaus ) utenfor England i posisjon 58.58 N og 07.50 V. på reise fra Milford Haven, UK med 1500 tonn kull og koks til Reykjavik, Island. Sank straks, 3 mann drept i maskinrommet og ytterligere 6 mann gikk ned med skipet.
www.uboat.net skriver:
At 23.47 hours on 23 Aug 1941 the S/S ”Inger” (Master Jørgen G. Jørgensen) was torpedoed and sunk by the german, type IID u-boat U-143, commanded by Oberleutnant Harald Gelhaus, holder of the German Knights Cross, about 30 miles northwest of Butt of Lewis, Scottland. The S/S ”Inger” had been ordered to return to Loch Ewe escorted by two armed trawlers for unknown reasons. S/S ”Inger” was hit by two torpedoes and sank immediately. One of the lifeboats floated free and three survivors rescued 11 more, but no more survivors were seen the following morning. Seven Norwegian crew members and two British gunners were lost. The escort ships had continued without looking for possible survivors. The lifeboat was later located by an aircraft and the survivors were picked up by the Ladylove that evening and taken to Stornoway.
Minnehallen i Stavern skriver:
D/S ”Inger” var på reise fra Milford Haven, UK til Reykjavik, Island med 1.500 tonn kull og koks. Ble torpedert 23. august 1941 av tysk U-143 i posisjon 5858 N og 0750 W, ca 30 n. mil NV av Butt of Lewis, Skottland. D/S ”Inger” gikk ned på minuttet, og mannskapet havnet i sjøen. Til alt hell huket en av livbåtene seg av taljen og fløt på rett kjøl like ved tre av besetningen. De kom seg om bord og fisket opp ytterligere 11 mann. Ved daggry fant de ingen andre overlevende. De overlevende ble tatt opp og landsatt i Stornoway av tråler. Ni mann, derav to britiske skyttere omkom.
De norske som omkom med D/S ”Inger”:
Henrik Sigurdsen - Matros, Halfdan G. Munkebye - Maskinsjef, Fridtjof Mathisen - Fyrbøter, Olaf Kristian Lie - Maskinist, Trygve Ludvik Larsen - Maskinist, Egon Karlsen - Sjømann, Harald Yngve Holm - Donkeymann.
Sjøhistorie - Utdrag fra dekksboka til D/S "Inger:Ang. D/S "Inger D/S "Inger av Trondheim, tilhørende Bache & Co., kjenningssignal L.E.E.C. 1418 ton brutto, 817 ton netto, 2160 ton D.W., avgikk fra Milford Haven tirsdag den 19de August 1941 i konvoi med en last bestående av 1300 ton kull og ton 200 ton kokes. Skibet var ved avgangen i full sjødyktig stand og fullt bemannet. Mannskapet besto av 21 mann samt 2 britisk arme skyttere som skulle returnere til U.K. med skipet. Lørdag den 23de august 1941 kl. 9.00 Greenwich middeltid ca. 30 nautiske mil NNV av Butt of Lewis, fikk vi ordre om å returnere til Loch Ewe, eskorteret av 2 trawlere.
Kl. 22.00 Greenwich middeltid, ca. 30 nautiske mil av Butt of Lewis ble skibet truffet av den første torpedo på babord side i forkant av maskinrummet og skiebet begynte øieblikkelig å synke. Ca. 6 sekunner senere kom nokk en torpedo, som traff ved nr. 4 luken på babord side. 2. styrmann, 1. styrmann samt skipets fører klarte å komme seg opp i styrbord livbåt, som allerede var kommet på vannet som følge av eksplosjonen. Skibet sank i løpet av et minutt. 11 mann, som lå i vannet ble da tatt opp i livbåten. Livbåten holdt seg rundt stedet inntil det lynet av dag for å se etter eventuelle overlevende, men det var ingen å se.
Kl. 11.30 neste dag ble vi tatt opp av trawleren "LADY LOVE" og brakt inn til Stornoway, hvor vi ble landsatt kl. 21.00. Livbåten ble overleveret Det Norske visekonsulat på stedet. Jørgen Jørgensen, Fører
Sjøhistorie - Referat fra sjøforklaringen, 2. september 1941, Glasgow, Administrator Konsul Offerdahl.
Appeared the vessel's master, Jørgen Gerd Jørgensen, and produced a written report, prepared by him, with reference to the occurence
The captain referred to the report as his evidence and added that he was on the bridge when the torpedoing took place together with the chief officer, Edgar Sørensen, the look-out man, A.B. Seaman Jørgen Hiedling, and the helmsman, deck boy Alfred Hall. Thew two last mentioned have left here, but the captain is of opinion that their presence at the Maritime Inquiri is not necessary. The order, which the captain received about returning, he got verbally, first from one of the escorting trawlers and later from one of the destroyers. The order was shouted through a megaphone at short distance and was quite plain so that there could be no reason for misunderstanding. Two other vessels, one English and one Belgian, received the same order, and they proceeded back quite near to each other. One of the escorting trawlers was about half a mile ahead of the "Inger" and the other one was on the port side so far away that she could not be seen. In spite of enquiries made, the captain has since not obtained any explaination why the vessel was to return. It was quite dark when the torpeoing took place and all lights on board were darkened. All the ship's papers, among which were the secret convoy insstructions which were lying in a canvas bag weighted with iron, went down with the ship. The vessel was equipped with six machine guns, but everything passed so quickly that there was no opportunity of using them. The captain is quite certain that the 9 missing men lost their lives. After the torpedoing had taken place we did not see anything of the two other vessels or the escorting trawlers. It was a fishing trawler which picked up those who were saved.
The 1st witness (Edgar Sørensen, chief officer) stated:
- that he was aware of the contents of the captin's report and referred to that as his evidence. He was on the bridge when the torpedoing took place and had been on watch there since 19.00 o'clock. During that time he had seen no submarine. The witness also heard the order which was given that the vessel should return, but he, himself, has formed no opinion about the reason why the order was given. The witness did not see anything of the men who lost their lives. He, himself, managed to get into the starboard lifeboat which had become unhooked from the tackle and was lying by the bilge keel. Otherwise, the witness made statement in accordance with the captain.Appeared the 2nd witness (Oluf Olsen, 2nd engineer) who stated:
- that he was in the steward's cabin when the torpedoing took place. The wireless operator and the steward were alos there. All three of them ran out on deck from where they were washed over board. They were taken into the lifeboat shortly afterwards. The witness did not see anything of those who lost their lives. Of the engine room staff, the chief engineer was on watch, the 3rd engineer was probably in his cabin, the donkeyman was in the engine room as was also fireman Trygve Larsen.
www.warsailors.com skriver:
Final Fate - 1941:
S/S ”Inger” departed Milford Haven for Reykjavik on Aug. 19-1941 with 1300 tons coal and 200 tons coke, joining the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 9.
On Aug. 23, she was instructed to go to Loch Ewe escorted by two trawlers (reason not known; a British and a Belgian ship also received the same order).
At 22:00 GMT that evening, she was southbound in position 58(48?) 58N 07 50W (about 30 n. miles northwest of Butt of Lewis, Scotland) when S/S ”Inger” was hit by two torpedoes from U-143 (Gelhaus), the first one striking on the port side near the engine room and the second one (about 6 seconds later) near No. 4 hatch, also on the port side. Luckily, the starboard lifeboat had come loose and floated near the captain, the 1st mate and the 2nd mate who were in the water, and 11 more were picked up by them, but no more survivors were seen as day dawned. The escort vessels had continued, but the lifeboat was located by an aircraft and the men picked up by the fishing trawler Ladylove that same morning and taken to Stornoway. 3 men had been killed in the engine room, another 6 had gone down with the ship. Hearings were held in Glasgow on Sept. 2-1941 with the captain, the 1st mate and the 2nd engineer appearing. At that time, the captain had still not obtained an explanation as to why they had been ordered to return to port.
Kilder: Krigsseilerregisteret, www.uboat.net, www.warsailor.com, Våre Falne, Minnehallen i Stavern og Sjøhistorie
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