Tina’s Family Labyrinth

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Brant County joined the Halifax portion of the slow eastbound Convoy SC 121 on Febr. 25-1943 in order to head back to the U.K. (the Commodore Vessel Bonneville and several others were sunk - follow the links for details), but returned to Halifax, later joining Convoy HX 228 from there, taking station 135. This convoy had originated in New York on Febr. 28, Brant County sailed from Halifax on March 2, according to Page 4 (which gives her destination as Avonmouth). Both these convoys had several other Norwegian ships as well, as will be seen when following the links. See also the cruising order/Commodore's notes for HX 228, as well as misc. reports (where Brant County is mentioned several times) and an analysis of U-boat operations in 4 eastbound convoys sailing around the same time; here is the analysis for HX 228.

On March 10 an intense battle ensued between U-boats and escorts, resulting in the British destroyer Harvester being sunk by U-432, but the French corvette Aconit took revenge by sinking the boat (Harvester and Aconit had previously sunk U-444).

Meanwhile, several ships were torpedoed within the convoy. 36 men, including the captain and 8 passengers, died when Brant County was torpedoed by U-86 (Schug, see * below) in the early morning hours of March 11. She was bound for Newport with a general cargo as well as 670 tons explosives in No. 1 and No. 2 holds, and a large amount of carbide in No. 3 hold. When the torpedo detonated in the cargo of carbide, it was immediately set on fire.

Of the 5 men on the bridge, 2nd Mate Granum, Steward Hansen and Helmsman Fjelle managed to get aft and lower themselves into the port lifeboat which had been launched by the 3rd mate, 2nd engineer and the donkeyman. The other 2 on the bridge died, the radio operator when he jumped overboard and disappeared, the other, the captain, died in the flames. The 3 stokers who were on duty in the engine room were killed (Jan de Greef, Ingvald Eggum and Michael Lehane), while 3rd Engineer Hjalmar Holthe managed to get on deck, but had been unable to stop the engine.

The 23 who had succeeded in getting in the port boat watched as crew and passengers struggled to get 2 rafts launched, and when the boat had drifted about 200 meters away the flames on board their ship reached the TNT, causing a huge explosion, sending pieces of metal and other debris over the area (damaging the U-boat which was still on the surface ?).

What follows is an excerpt from the Commodore's report:
"03:55Z - Brant County (135) torpedoed 51 53N 28 40W. The ship fired two white rockets. Burst into flames, the fire was like an "inferno" and lit everything up like daylight. I could see the whole convoy and escorts ahead and on both wings.
04:13Z - W.T. message received "SSS de T.R. 135 Brant County torpedoed". (The operator who sent this message was a very brave, cool and gallant gentleman).
04:15Z - Brant County blew up with a tremendous explosion, throwing debris hundreds of feet into the air. (The scene was indescribable)."

The survivors were picked up half an hour later by the British Stuart Prince, another ship in the convoy. Stoker Ferdinand Olsen was badly burnt and died shortly thereafter. The survivors were landed in Liverpool on March 16, where the maritime hearings were held on March 23-1943, with the 2nd mate, the 2nd engineer, the 3rd engineer, Able Seaman Fjelle and Able Seaman Heimstad appearing.

*There's some disagreement here; J. Rohwer states that Brant County was torpedoed and sunk by U-86 (giving position as 52 05N 27 35W). Roger W. Jordan (The World's Merchant Fleets 1939) and Arnold Hague (The Allied Convoy System) both agree with my Norwegian sources, U-757, but more recent findings seem to support Rohwer's U-86 theory. This U-boat was sunk with all hands later on that year - ref. external link at the end of this page.

"Reinhardt Jensen" is listed as deceased, with title 'Stoker'.