Post by Administrator on Oct 19, 2020 15:05:07 GMT
19 October 1941 the Norwegian ship RASK had departed Cork and was sailing inside Irish territorial waters en-route towards Newport, Wales. Territorial waters limits was only 3’ at this time, much closer inshore than the 12’ that it is today. That evening as the ship approached Tuskar Rock lighthouse, RASK was subjected to a determined attack by 3 Luftwaffe aircraft. Rocked by successive bomb near misses and strafed by machine gun fire, the ship was abandoned in a sinking condition. The surviving crew managed to abandon ship in two lifeboats.
It was early the following morning on the 20th when the survivors started coming ashore in Ireland, the first lifeboat under the command of the captain landed at Wexford town. The second lifeboat did not fare well overnight and seven crew perished overnight as the lifeboat capzised several times. The five survivors and three bodies were picked up by the British trawler WALLACE ROSE. The injured second officer and the recovered bodies were landed at Rosslare. The bodies of the seafarers recovered were interred at St. Ibars Cemetery, Wexford.
VIA: Neutral Shores, Ireland and the Battle of the Atlantic.
It was early the following morning on the 20th when the survivors started coming ashore in Ireland, the first lifeboat under the command of the captain landed at Wexford town. The second lifeboat did not fare well overnight and seven crew perished overnight as the lifeboat capzised several times. The five survivors and three bodies were picked up by the British trawler WALLACE ROSE. The injured second officer and the recovered bodies were landed at Rosslare. The bodies of the seafarers recovered were interred at St. Ibars Cemetery, Wexford.
VIA: Neutral Shores, Ireland and the Battle of the Atlantic.