SS Fanad Head

The SS "Fanad Head" was a British cargo steamer. She was torpedoed and sunk in the Second World War.

Early history

The "Fanad Head" was built by Workman, Clark & Co Ltd, Belfast for G. Heyn & Sons Ltd. She was completed in 1917 and homeported in Belfast. She became an early casualty of Germany's U-boat fleet whilst bound for Belfast from Montreal, carrying general cargo and grain, commanded by her master, George Pinkerton. [http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/20.html Fanad Head's sinking] ]

inking

Initial attacks and response

"Fanad Head" was travelling unescorted off the coast of Ireland, when she was spotted at 13.23 hours on 14 September 1939 by "U-30". The U-boat surfaced and gave chase, eventually stopping her with a shot across her bow some 280 miles west-northwest of Malin Head. After sending a distress call, the master, 33 crew members and eight passengers abandoned ship in two lifeboats. "U-30" took them in tow and landed a prize crew aboard her to gather provisions and then scuttle the ship.

The distress call had been received by the aircraft carrier HMS "Ark Royal", then on an anti-submarine patrol 200 miles north-east of the "Fanad Head". "Ark Royal" quickly launched three Blackburn Skuas of her 803 Naval Air Squadron, and detached HMS "Tartar", HMS "Bedouin" and HMS "Punjabi" to go to the "Fanad Head"’s assistance. 30 minutes after launching the first wave of aircraft, "Ark Royal" herself was attacked by "U-39", but was able to avoid the torpedoes and "U-39" was subsequently sunk by "Ark Royal"’s escorts. After two hours, "Ark Royal" launched six Swordfish aircraft and detached HMS "Fame" and HMS "Forester" to the scene.

Bombing attempts

When the first Skua reached the "Fanad Head", the pilots were surprised to find the U-boat surfaced alongside her and dropped the bombs immediately at very low level. The bombs detonated on contact with the water surface causing shrapnel to hit the aircraft, damaging it enough to force the pilot to ditch the burning Skua in the sea.Rossiter, "Ark Royal", p. 78] Both crewmen survived the crash, but were badly burnt and began swimming towards the "Fanad Head". Only the pilot managed to reach her and was pulled unconscious from the water. The "U-30" had crash-dived by the stern and avoided damage, but one of their crew had not had time to get below deck before she had submerged. He too swam to the "Fanad Head". Meanwhile, the bombs dropped by the Skua had detonated so close to the ship that three men from the prize crew had been wounded by shrapnel.

Ten minutes after the first attack, the second Skua arrived at the scene. They sighted what they believed was a U-boat and dropped their bombs, but this was probably the wreck of the first Skua. When "U-30" then surfaced nearby they had no bombs left, but repeatedly strafed it with their machine guns and forced it to dive again. After the aircraft, low on fuel, left to return to "Ark Royal", the U-boat re-surfaced and tried to come alongside the "Fanad Head" to take off the prize crew. The third Skua then arrived and sighting the "U-30", dropped its bombs, but again dropped them from an insufficient height. The damage from the explosion caused the Skua to fall into the sea. The pilot managed to get free, and swim to the "Fanad Head", where he too was taken aboard by the prize crew.

Torpedoing

"U-30" continued to attempt to come alongside, but damaged her bow in her third attempt. She eventually managed to take aboard the five members of the prize crew. The British pilots initially remained aboard, but on being informed that "U-30" intended to torpedo the "Fanad Head", they jumped overboard and were taken prisoner. Shortly after this, the first Swordfish arrived and carried out a strafing run which again forced the U-boat to dive. At 18.20 hours, "U-30" launched a stern torpedo at the "Fanad Head" from a range of 500 metres, causing her to sink. The "U-30" was then repeatedly attacked with bombs from the Swordfishes and depth charges from the two destroyers which had arrived on the scene. HMS "Tartar" picked up the crew of the "Fanad Head" and took them to Mallaig, Scotland. The "U-30" was attacked until 22.00 hours, suffering considerable damage, before managing to escape on the surface one hour later.

"U-30" then made for Reykjavik, arriving there on 19 September. Here she landed one of her seriously injured crewmen and took aboard a replacement from an interned German freighter. The "U-30" then returned to Germany with the two captured British pilots, arriving at Wilhelmshaven on 27 September. The pilots spent the rest of the war in a prisoner of war camp in Brunswick.

Notes

References

*Mike Rossiter, "Ark Royal: the life, death and rediscovery of the legendary Second World War aircraft carrier" (Corgi Books, London, 2007). ISBN 978-0-552-15369-0
* [http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/20.html SS Fanad Head at Uboat.net]