SS Papendrecht /Lotharingen

[dennis a feary]

The ship with three names that served under three flags.
Also Torpedo `mystery' !!

Torpedo mystery ; Dutch S.S. PAPENDRECHT, 10954 tons, ( built Rotterdam Dry Dock Co. ) ( Dutch Co. Van Ommeren ? ) taken over by Germans 1940 (while building ?) renamed LOTHARINGEN. Boarded / Captured by Royal Navy. Some 200 torpedoes found aboard. These did not fit the R.N Ships, so were then passed to the R.N.N. As in the first instance the Germans had copied Dutch torpedoes, the Dutch submarine service made small modifications to them to use in their submarines – designated G 7 A D ( D for Dutch ). These are `posssibly’ the `mysterious torpedoes’. PAPENDRECHT / LOTHARINGEN passed to British Merchant Marine seeing service during war years under the name of EMPIRE SALVAGE. Returned to Dutch Marine post war.

Sadsac

[patroclus]

I have seen lower figures for the number of torpedoes on board the LOTHRINGEN (note spelling). Is that 200 a definite confirmed figure?

She served as an RFA as EMPIRE SALVAGE.

[dennis a feary]

Hello Patroclus. Cannot DEFINATELY say that there were TWO hundred torps aboard - about is the figure.
Cannot remember now where I got such info from - will have a search around my files. But seem to remember checking well at the time.
LOTHRINGEN ?? Again must look to confirm - but will take your word for it.

Sadsac

[Visje]

Hi all,

Would be very interested to know if Lothringen indeed had 200 torpedoes on board (all type G7A?) and how many were passed on to RNN service. Any new information?

Kind regards,
Visje

[patroclus]

The number of torpedoes seems to vary but the most popular is 32.

Unfortunately, all these sources are secondary and have to be treated with some reserve.

See:
http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-stories/1112-royal-navy-1-kriegsmarine-0

[Visje]

Hi Patroclus,

Thanks for replying and the link to the RFA-website, very interesting.

I found this photo in a book I have. It shows the Lothringen and HMS Dunedin in one shot (photo taken by an aircraft from HMS Eagle?). Photo is credited to Public Record Office in London.