SS Fingal

SS "Fingal" was a Norwegian merchant ship of 2,137 tons which was sunk during World War II off the coast of Australia.

The "Fingal" was built at Moss Verft, Norway 1923. [cite web | last = Lawson | first = Siri | year = | url = http://www.warsailors.com/singleships/fingal.html | title = D/S Fingal| work = Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945 | publisher = warsailors.com by Siri Lawson | accessdate = 2008-02-05]

In December 1941 the steamer had been damaged by Japanese bombing when en route between Rangoon and Calcutta. [cite web| url = http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-4112-39DEC02.htm | title = NAVAL EVENTS, DECEMBER 1941 (Part 2 of 2) Monday 15th – Wednesday 31st | work = Royal Navy Day-by-Day in World War 2| | last = Kindall | first = Don |publisher = www.naval-history.net |accessdate = 2008-02-05]

In May 1943 the "Fingal" was under charter to Australian Government. She was sailing from Sydney to Darwin shipping cargo and ammunition escorted by USS "Patterson" crewed by 31 men, mainly Scandinavian, apart from six Australians including two Royal Australian Navy gunners.

At about 1:35pm off Nambucca Heads, New South Wales on 5 May 1943, two torpedoes fired from the Japanese submarine "I 180" slammed into the side of her hull. "Fingal" sank within a minute and the USS "Patterson" dropped depth charges and immediately left the area.

Survivors from the sinking ship clung to debris. A RAAF Avro Anson DG696 from 71 Squadron, flown by Flt Sgt Geoffery Gillmore and operating out of Coffs Harbour was escorting her at the time, flying about 10 miles ahead of the ship. DG696 saw that she had been hit by a torpedo, returned to the area, found the survivors and requested that the USS "Patterson" return to the area to pick up the survivors. The survivors were picked up after spending four hours in the sea. 19 of the crew survived. The USS "Patterson" dropped off the survivors at Newcastle at 9:00am on 6 May 1943.

Twelve men lost their lives, including the captain, chief officer and all the engineers. [cite web| url = http://oceans1.customer.netspace.net.au/nsw-wrecks.html |title = New South Wales Shipwrecks | publisher = Oceans Enterprises |work = Encyclopedia of Australian Shipwrecks | accessdate = 2008-02-05]

References

*cite web | last = Hackett | first = Bob | coauthors = and Sander Kingsepp | year = 2003 | url = http://www.combinedfleet.com/I-180.htm | title = HIJMS Submarine I-180: Tabular Record of Movement | work = Imperial Submarines | publisher = www.combinedfleet.com | accessdate = 2008-02-05
* pp18 - 20 "Signals" No 81 Dec 07 - Feb 08 (Australian National Maritime Museum)