SS Birka (1937) - Misplaced Pages

German passenger ship built in 1937

History

Name	Birka
Owner	Mathies Reederei (1937–40) Kriegsmarine (1940–43)
Port of registry	Hamburg, Germany (1937–40) Kriegsmarine (1940–43)
Builder	Flensburger Schiffbauw-Gesellschaft
Launched	23 June 1937
Commissioned	5 September 1940
Out of service	1 June 1943
Identification	Code Letters DJUF Kriegsmarine designation "Schiff 8" (1940–43)
Fate	Struck a mine and sank
General characteristics
Class and type	Passenger ship (1937–40) Hospital ship (1940–43)
Tonnage	1,000 GRT, 508 NRT
Length	73.23 metres (240 ft 3 in)
Beam	10.39 metres (34 ft 1 in)
Depth	3.71 metres (12 ft 2 in)
Installed power	Compound steam engine, 184nhp
Propulsion	Single screw propeller

Birka was a German passenger ship built in 1937. She was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine during the Second World War for use as a hospital ship. She struck a mine and sank in 1943.

Description

The ship was 73.23 metres (240 ft 3 in) long, with a beam of 10.39 metres (34 ft 1 in) and a depth of 3.71 metres (12 ft 2 in). She was powered by a 4-cylinder compound steam engine, which had 2 cylinders each of 37 centimetres (14+9⁄16 in) and 2 cylinders each of 80 centimetres (31+1⁄2 in) diameter by 80 centimetres (31+1⁄2 in) stroke. The engine was built by Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft, Flensburg, Germany. It was rated at 184nhp and drove a single screw propeller. She was assessed at 1,000 GRT, 508 NRT.

History

Birka was built by Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft for Mathies Reederei KG, Hamburg, Germany. She was launched on 23 June 1937. Her port of registry was Hamburrg and the Code Letters DJUF were allocated. On 24 November 1937, she ran aground off the coast of Sweden and was severely damaged. She was refloated the next day and taken in to Stockholm for repairs.

On 5 September 1940, Birka was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine for use as a hospital ship. Allocated to 5 Vorpostengruppe and designated as "Schiff 8", she served in Norwegian waters. On 1 June 1943, she struck a mine and sank in the Altafjord with the loss of 115 lives. The mine had been laid on 6 May by the Soviet submarine L-22. The Stockholms-Tidningen claimed that Birka had been used to carry troops and munitions from Trondheim to Kirkenes in violation of her status as a hospital ship.

References

^ "Birka (70911)" (PDF). Lloyd's Register: Navires à Vapeur et à Moteurs. BIN-BIR (in English and French). London: Lloyd's Register. 1938–1939. Retrieved 18 January 2023 – via Southampton City Council.
"KRIEGSMARINE HOSPITAL SHIPS (Lazarettschiffe)". Kbismark. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
"Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 47851. London. 25 November 1937. col E, p. 26.
"Casualty Reports". The Times. No. 47852. London. 26 November 1937. col E, p. 28.
^ "Lazarettschiffe Birka". Feldgrau. 4 August 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
"Vorpostenflottillen 1939 – 1945" (in German). Württembergische Landesbibliothek. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
Rohwer, Jürgen; Gerhard Hümmelchen. "Seekrieg 1943, Mai". Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart (in German). Retrieved 18 January 2023.
"400 German Soldiers Drowned". The Times. No. 49579. London. 23 June 1943. col C, p. 3.

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1937
Shipwrecks	1 Jan: Monte Carlo 11 Jan: Volgas 21 Jan: Roosevelt January (unknown date): USS Stribling 4 Mar:Loukia 16 Mar: HMS Torrid 30 Apr: España 17 Jun: Jaime I 26 Jun: USS Sanderling 20 Jul: USS Sproston 22 Jul: USS Anthony 9 Aug: Nereus 11 Aug Hai Chi, Hai Yung 30 Aug: SS Tarpon (1887) 28 Sep Chao Ho 7 Oct: Muriel 20 Oct: Argo 25 Oct Ying Swei 10 Nov: Hibernia 13 Nov: Tzenny Chandris 11 Dec: President Hoover 12 Dec: USS Panay 26 Dec: Saros December (unknown date): Ohioan Unknown date: Haida, Jules Michelet
Other incidents	18 Jan: Felce 24 Jan: English Trader 17 Feb: Edward Luckenbach 6 Mar: President Coolidge March (unknown date): Ohioan 7 Apr: Angelina Lauro 30 Apr: Clan Macwhirter 18 May: I-3, Monte Piana 29 May: Deutschland (incident) 14 Jun: Duke of Lancaster 3 Aug: Noemijulia 7 Aug: British Corporal 8 Aug: Clan Macneil 26 Aug: Cantabria 2 Sep: Conte Verde, HMS Diamond, HMS Duchess, HMS Suffolk 21 Sep: Cap Arcona 24 Sep: Clan Alpine 8 Nov: English Trader 24 Nov: Birka 12 Dec: Panay Incident 28 Dec: Durraween, Wanganella Unknown date: Murre, Port Nicholson
1936 1938

v t e Vorpostenboote of the Kriegsmarine
List of Vorpostenboote in World War II
1 Vorpostenflotille	V 101 Schwan V 102 Cressida V 103 Sylvia V 104 Falke V 105 Cremon V 106 Phönix V 107 Botilla Russ V 108 Friedrich Karl V 108 Porjus V 109 Flamingo
2 Vorpostenflotille	V 201 Seydlitz V 202 Franz Westermann V 204 Dorum V 205 Hermann Bösch V 206 Gauleiter Telschow V 207 Otto Bröhan V 208 Gebrüder Kähler V 209 Carl Röver V 209 Dr. Rudolf Wahrendorff V 210 R. Walther Darré V 211 Friedrich Busse V 212 Hinrich Hey V 213 Claus Bolten V 213 Zieten V 214 Spica V 214 Teutonia V 215 Baden V 215 Oliva V 216 Goëland
3 Vorpostenflotille	V 301 Weser V 302 Bremen V 303 Tannenberg V 304 Breslau V 305 Ostpreussen V 306 Fritz Hincke V 307 Württemberg V 308 Oscar Neynaber V 309 Martin Donandt V 310 Rosemarie V 311 Osdorf V 312 Hanseat V 313 Eifel V 314 Heinrich Lehnert V 315 Bris V 317 Wega
4 Vorpostenflotille	V 401 Nordland V 401 Dr. Adolf Spilker V 402 Hans Loh V 403 Germania V 404 Deutschland V 404 Baden V 405 J. Hinrich Wilhelms V 406 Jan Mayen V 407 Saarland V 407 Dorum V 408 Haltenbank V 409 August Bösch V 412 Bremerhaven V 413 Ferdinand Niedermeyer V 414 Sachsenwald V 420 Alcyon V 421 Rauzan V 422 Kergroise V 423 Keryado II V 424 Carl J. Busch V 427 Victoire
5 Vorpostengruppe	Wandrahm Birka Neuss Nerissa
6 Vorpostengruppe	Dr. Heinrich Wiegand Jupiter Oldenburg Schürbek
6 Vorpostenflotille	V 601 Dr. Heinrich Wiegand V 602 Richard C. Krogmann V 603 Carsten V 604 Fritz Reiser V 605 Arthur Duncker V 606 Fladengrund V 607 Düsseldorf V 620 Derfflinger V 621 Mars V 622 Almuth V 623 Jupiter V 624 Köln V 625 Johann Schulte
7 Vorpostenflotille	V 704 Richard C. Krogmann V 705 Carsten V 706 Fritz Reiser V 707 Arthur Duncker V 708 Fladengrund V 710 Düsseldorf V 727 Goëland
8 Vorpostenflotille	V 801 Max Gundelach V 804 Skolpenbank V 804 Spica V 811 Hugo Homann Schiff 7 Wega
11 Vorpostenflotille	V 1101 Preußen
13 Vorpostenflotille	V 1302 John Mahn V 1337 Victoire
14 Vorpostenflotille	V 1419 Victoire
15 Vorpostenflotille	PA 1 PA 2 V 1502 Wiking 6 V 1503 Wiking 10 V 1504 Wiking 8 V 1507 Rau VI V 1512 Unitas 8 V 1523 Deltra I
16 Vorpostenflotille	V 1605 Mosel
17 Vorpostenflotille	V 1703 Unitas 4 V 1704 Unitas 5
18 Vorpostengruppe	Schiff 7 Wega
18 Vorpostenflotille	V 1801 Wandrahm
51 Vorpostenflotille	V 5102 Orkan V 5106 Sindbad
55 Vorpostenflotille	V 5501 Zick
57 Vorpostenflotille	V 5717 Fritz Homann
59 Vorpostenflotille	V 5908 Togo
61 Vorpostenflotille	V 6105 Samoa V 6112 Friese V 6114 Eismeer
65 Vorpostenflotille	V 6512 Togo
Vessels are listed under their first designation within each Vorpostenflotille. Subsequent changes in pennant numbers not shown.

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in June 1943
Shipwrecks	1 Jun: Birka, John Morgan, U-418 2 Jun: U-105, U-202, U-521 3 Jun: Montanan 4 Jun: USS PC-496, U-308, U-594 5 Jun: U-217 8 Jun: Mutsu 11 Jun: I-24, U-417, HMAS Wallaroo 12 Jun: USS R-12, U-118 13 Jun: USCGC Escanaba, I-9, Suzuya Maru 14 Jun: U-334, U-564 15 Jun: Sanraku Maru 16 Jun: SS Portmar, U-97 17 Jun: WBS 1 Hermann, I-178, Yoma 19 Jun: Barbarigo 20 Jun: U-388 22 Jun: I-7 23 Jun: USS Aludra, USS Deimos 24 Jun: U-119, U-194, U-200, U-449 28 Jun: Bari 29 Jun: USS Redwing 30 Jun: USS Hulbert, USS McCawley Unknown date: HMS Kingston, USS Runner
Other incidents	5 Jun: SS Howard M. Hanna Jr.. USS Lapon 16 Jun: I-157 27 Jun: RFA Abbeydale, USS Growler 29 Jun: USS R-14 Unknown date: I-155
1942 1943 1944 May 1943 July 1943

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