At 03.16 hours on 6 April 1940 the Norwegian steamer Navarra (Master Lorentz Øhre Tangen), while en-route from Swansea to Oslo with a cargo of 3000 tons of coal, was hit on the starboard side abreast of No.3 hatch by one torpedo from U-59 (Harald Jurst) and sank within seven minutes. Six men were probably killed in the explosion. The ship was immediately abandoned in two lifeboats, but one capsized in the high seas, resulting in the death of the master, three officers and two passengers. The fourteen survivors in the other lifeboat were spotted by a British aircraft, which notified the Finnish steam merchant Atlas. They were picked up about nine hours after the sinking and landed at Kirkwall. The body of Captain Tangen, (of Oslo), was recovered from the sea and buried at Wick.
On 9 April 1940, one of the Navarra's lifeboats was found in North Ronaldsay Sound, Orkney, on 2 May 1940 a liferaft from the Navarra was found at Ness Point , Burray, Orkney and on 3 May 1940 another was found at Old Head, South Ronaldsay. Finally on 4 May a lifebuoy from the Navarra was found at Stew Haven on the east side of South Ronaldsay.
The Navarra was built in 1920 by Osbourne, Graham & Co. She was 285' x 43.5' 19.1', (87m long by 13m wide) and 2118 gross tons. Her triple-expansion engines delivered 210 nhp. She was owned by Dampsk. Intsk. Garonne.
Possible positions are 59 27 00N, 04 06 00W, AN1537, (Rora Head) or AN1357.
On 9 April 1940, one of the Navarra's lifeboats was found in North Ronaldsay Sound, Orkney, on 2 May 1940 a liferaft from the Navarra was found at Ness Point , Burray, Orkney and on 3 May 1940 another was found at Old Head, South Ronaldsay. Finally on 4 May a lifebuoy from the Navarra was found at Stew Haven on the east side of South Ronaldsay.
The Navarra was built in 1920 by Osbourne, Graham & Co. She was 285' x 43.5' 19.1', (87m long by 13m wide) and 2118 gross tons. Her triple-expansion engines delivered 210 nhp. She was owned by Dampsk. Intsk. Garonne.
Possible positions are 59 27 00N, 04 06 00W, AN1537, (Rora Head) or AN1357.