At 07.11 hours on 21 January 1940 the unescorted and neutral Copenhagen registered steamer, Tekla (Master Aaga Jenson), while on a voyage from Burntisland to Aarhus with coal and coke, was hit on the starboard side in front of the bridge by one torpedo from U-22, about forty miles north-northwest of Kinnaird Head. The explosion killed four crew members, blew open both hatches and caused a heavy list to starboard that caused the ship to sink within three minutes. HMS Exmouth was ordered to assist but had already been sunk by U-22.
Ten survivors abandoned ship in the starboard lifeboat which was destroyed by the mast as the ship capsized when it sank. Five men drowned while the remaining men managed to rescue themselves onto a raft that had floated free. Four crew members abandoned ship on another raft and were picked up about two hours later by HMS Sikh (F 82) (Cdr J.A. Giffard, RN) and transferred to the Norwegian steam merchant Iris (1177 grt), which also picked up the other survivors and landed them all in Bergen. The body of one crewman, Verner Sørensen, Fredericia, was later washed ashore and buried at Wick. Representatives of all services and local public bodies attended the funeral, as well as a large number of Danish fishermen who worked from Wick during the war years.
Those who drowned were:
Captain: Aaga Jensen, from Gedser;
1st Mate: Christian Nikolaj Jacobsen, from Copenhagen;
1st Engineer: Poul Husland Poulsen, from Copenhagen;
2nd Engineer: Emil Hartvig Christiansen, from Aarhus;
Steward: Verner Sørensen, from Fredericia;
Cook: Carl Rasmussen, from Esbjerg;
Able Seaman: Knud Henning Svart, from Copenhagen;
Ordinary Seaman: Joen Hilbert Johansen, from Copenhagen;
Stoker: Erik Emil Forsberg, from Copenhagen.
The Tekla was owned by Dampsk. Torm A/S. and was built in 1920 by Helsingors Jernkib & Maskin, Elsinore. She was 249.5' x 38.1' x 15', (75m long by 12m wide) and steel built. Her triple expansion engines developed 158 nhp. She was 1469 gross registered tons.
A wreck believed to be the Tekla was found in June 2001. The wreck stands 30 feet high in a depth of 60m and is 130 feet long. Possible position is two miles from Wick or 50 miles NE of Tarbet Ness. 58 18 00N, 02 25 00W or 58 18 30N, 02 28 90W. Admiralty documents state that Tekla was torpedoed at 05.13 hrs on the 21st in 58.18N/ 02.25W, which is about forty miles NNW of Kinnaird Head.
Ten survivors abandoned ship in the starboard lifeboat which was destroyed by the mast as the ship capsized when it sank. Five men drowned while the remaining men managed to rescue themselves onto a raft that had floated free. Four crew members abandoned ship on another raft and were picked up about two hours later by HMS Sikh (F 82) (Cdr J.A. Giffard, RN) and transferred to the Norwegian steam merchant Iris (1177 grt), which also picked up the other survivors and landed them all in Bergen. The body of one crewman, Verner Sørensen, Fredericia, was later washed ashore and buried at Wick. Representatives of all services and local public bodies attended the funeral, as well as a large number of Danish fishermen who worked from Wick during the war years.
Those who drowned were:
Captain: Aaga Jensen, from Gedser;
1st Mate: Christian Nikolaj Jacobsen, from Copenhagen;
1st Engineer: Poul Husland Poulsen, from Copenhagen;
2nd Engineer: Emil Hartvig Christiansen, from Aarhus;
Steward: Verner Sørensen, from Fredericia;
Cook: Carl Rasmussen, from Esbjerg;
Able Seaman: Knud Henning Svart, from Copenhagen;
Ordinary Seaman: Joen Hilbert Johansen, from Copenhagen;
Stoker: Erik Emil Forsberg, from Copenhagen.
The Tekla was owned by Dampsk. Torm A/S. and was built in 1920 by Helsingors Jernkib & Maskin, Elsinore. She was 249.5' x 38.1' x 15', (75m long by 12m wide) and steel built. Her triple expansion engines developed 158 nhp. She was 1469 gross registered tons.
A wreck believed to be the Tekla was found in June 2001. The wreck stands 30 feet high in a depth of 60m and is 130 feet long. Possible position is two miles from Wick or 50 miles NE of Tarbet Ness. 58 18 00N, 02 25 00W or 58 18 30N, 02 28 90W. Admiralty documents state that Tekla was torpedoed at 05.13 hrs on the 21st in 58.18N/ 02.25W, which is about forty miles NNW of Kinnaird Head.