Født: Herad - 10 juli 1915
Bosted: Lyngdal - Lyngdal kommune.
Død: 15 juni 1942
Oskar Sigvald Opsal omkom 15. juni 1942 da D/S ”Bennestvet” ble torpedert i Vestindia på reise fra New Orleans til Christobal.
Kildene forteller:
Krigsseilerregisteret skriver:Andre kilder:
Reiste til sjøs med dampskipet "Hild" tilh. Salvesens Rederi, av Farsund i desember 1935, Seilte med dette skipet inntil juli 1938 da han mønstret av i Bergen. Etter 3 måneder hjemme mønstret han som fyrbøter på dampskipet "Bravore" av Farsund. Gikk neste år 1939 ombord i D/S "Bennestvet" som fyrbøter og omkom da hun ble torpedert av tysk ubåt 15 juni 1942 på reise fra New Orleans til Cristobal
Juni 1942:
D/S "Bennestvet" ble torpedert den 15 juni 1942 av den tyske, type IXC, u-båten U 172 (Korvettenkapitän Carl Emmermann) i pos. N 10.47', W 82.12' - øst av Colorada, Costa Rica på reise fra New Orleans til Christobal med krigs materiell. 12 personer omkom. 13 personer hoppet i sjøen og kom seg på flåter. Etter 10 døgn ble de berget av en amerikansk patruljebåt.
www.uboat.net skriver:
At 20.00 hours on 15 June 1942 the S/S "Bennestvet"(Master Olaf Nøstdahl) was hit on the port side in #3 hold by a torpedo from the german, type IXC u-boat U-172, commanded by Korvettenkapitän Carl Emmermann, holder of the german Knights Cross with Oak Leaves, broke in two and sank within one minute. The master and eleven crew members were lost, the first engineer was the only surviving officer. As there was no time to launch the lifeboats the survivors had to jump overboard and rescued themselves on two rafts. The U-boat surfaced, questioned the survivors and gave them two loaves of bread. The commander wanted to shake hands with them, but this was refused. Two days later the survivors were located by an aircraft, picked up by the submarine chaser USS PC-458 and landed at Cristobal on 18 June.
Minnehallen i Stavern skriver:
D/S "Bennestvet" var på reise fra New Orleans til Cristobal med krigsmateriell. Ble torpedert 15. juni 1942 av tysk U172 ikke langt fra Cristobal. Skipet brakk på midten og gikk ned på under minuttet. 13 mann kom klar av dragsuget og reddet seg på to flåter som fløt opp. Etter 10 døgn i drift ble folkene observert av fly og reddet av et patruljefartøy som tok dem med inn til Cristobal. 12 mann omkom.
De norske som omkom ombord på D/S "Bennestvet" :
Arne Vasdal - Stuert, Oskar Sigvald Opsal - Fyrbøter, Olaf Nøstdahl - Skipsfører, Kristen Oliver Køhn - 3. Maskinist, Hans Jørgen Josephsen - 2. Styrmann, Fridtjof Harald Roy Johannessen - Maskinist, Halfdan Ellingsen - Kokk, Olngren Magnar Olai Edvartsen - Lettmatros, Sigurd Kristian Drange - 1. Styrmann, Hans Falch Bruaas - Fyrbøter, Helge Johan Bliksrud - Fyrbøter.
www.warsailors.com skriver:
Final Fate - 1942:
S/S "Bennestvet" was on her way from New Orleans to Cristobal with war stores (trucks, tanks, fuel, alcohol, cement, steel), having left New Orleans on June 8-1942 and had almost reached her destination on June 15 when she was hit by a torpedo from U-172 (Emmermann) in No. 3 hold on the port side.
There was an explosion in the oil tank, her deck cargo fell down, S/S "Bennestvet" broke in the middle and sank in less than a minute, position 10 47N 82 12W.
The captain and 11 others died, including all the officers except for the chief engineer. All those who were on deck amidships were believed to have been killed by the deck cargo.
There was no time to launch lifeboats, so 13 men jumped overboard and managed to get on 2 rafts.
The U-boat came up and asked the usual questions (what ship, destination etc.) and whether they were in need of food, then handed them two loaves of bread.
The commander wanted to shake hands with them, but this was refused. Upon asking what their position was, they were told they were about 120 n. miles from nearest land. After 1 1/2 days they were spotted by aircraft, then rescued by PC 458 and landed at Cristobal on June 18.
The maritime hearings were held in New York on July 6-1942 with the 1st engineer (in his cabin when the torpedo struck), the carpenter (who had been aft), and Able Seaman Gundersen (on gun duty) appearing. The latter had initially been pulled down with the suction as the S/S "Bennestvet" sank.
Kilder: Krigsseilerregisteret, www.uboat.net, og Minnehallen i Stavern og www.warsailors.com
Flåtetilhørighet
Tilhørte Uteflåten.
Registernummer London: 1489
Registernummer New York: 7601