MS Rigel

The "Rigel" was a Norwegian vessel named after the brightest star in the Orion constellation, built in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1924. The vessel was sunk by the British Royal Navy off Norway on 27 November 1944 during World War II.

The "Rigel" and "Korsnes" had been requisitioned by the German occupation authorities in Norway to transport Allied prisoners of war, German deserters and Norwegians arrested by the German police.

The two vessels, escorted by two German naval vessels, were bombed by Fairey Barracuda planes from the aircraft carrier HMS "Implacable". The location of the attack was between the islands Rosøya and Tjøtta south of Sandnessjøen in Nordland county.

After the bombing raid the German captain onboard "Rigel" grounded her on the island Rosøya, which probably saved some 267 lives. A total of 2,571 were killed, mostly Russian, Polish and Serbian prisoners of war; 7 Norwegians also perished. Survivors, as recent as in a 2005-documentary, claimed the British planes killed several of the prisoners by firing on them in the lifeboats.

The wreck remained half-sunk until 1970, when it was demolished and the remains of the dead buried in the war cemetery on the island of Tjøtta. The British Government said at the time that they had mistakenly believed the vessels to be carrying German troops.

References

[http://www.warsailors.com/homefleetsingles/rigel.html Norwegian Homefleet - Rigel]