S101 was a high speed German motor torpedo boat, at a length of 33mtrs and powered by 3 Daimler Benz marine diesel engines, she was capable of speeds up to 44 knots. Her armament consisted of 2 x 21 inch torpedo tubes with 4 torpedoes carried, 3 x 20mm cannons, 1 x twin and 1 x single along with a single 37mm flak cannon. The S in S boat stands for schnell, this meaning fast in German, the name given to these craft was Schnellboot (Fast boat).
Norman Queen
Type ... Cargo. Long raised quarter deck, machinery aft, bridge midships, cruiser stern, x2 holds
Position ... 52 51'21,7 N / 01 39'58,3 EBuilt ... 1938Propulsion ... SteamTonnage ... 957 grtDimensions ... 60.2 x 9.8 x 4 mtrs / Raised quarter deck 122 feet, Forecastle 25 feetBuild ... SteelEngine ... x1 three cylinder triple expansion engine. 14, 24, 40 x 27 inchesBoiler ... x1 Scotch type, x3 corrugated furnacesBuilder ... Burntisland Shipping Company LtdEngine builder ... David Rowan & Co Ltd, GlasgowOwner ... London & Channel Islands Shipping Company - Cheeswright & Ford - British Channel Islands, LondonPower ... 129 nhpSpeed ... 9 knotsYard no ... 216Official no ... 166353Lost ... 8th March 1941 (Whilst in convoy FN-426)Casualties ... 14 lostCause ... Torpedo (S Boat)Captain ... C.M. Horne
Convoys FN-426 and FS-429
On the night of the 7th March 1941 the German 1st MTB Flotilla consisting of S26 / S27 / S28 / S29 / S101/ S102/, along with the 3rd MTB Flotilla consisting of S31 / S57 / S59 / S60 / and S61, made a night time sortie on both convoys FN-426 and FS-429 off Yarmouth and Cromer . The attack saw five vessels lost from convoy FN-426 (listed below) and two vessels from Convoy FS-429, these being the Boulderpool (S61) and Kenton (S31).
Convoy FN- 426 was escorted by the destroyers Versatile and Berkeley along with the patrol sloop Sheldrake, the sheldrake narrowly missing being hit by one of the S Boats torpedoes.
Convoy FS-429 was escorted by the destroyer Pytchley and the patrol sloop Puffin.
The destroyers Worcester and Whitshed were dispatched to cover both convoys.
Circumstances of loss
Whilst attached to the north bound convoy FN-426, London to Hartlepool with a cargo of timber, the Norman Queen was torpedoed by the S Boat S101 of the 1st MTB Flotilla. During the attack on convoy FN-426, three other ships were sent to the bottom and one being beached, these being SS Corduff S28 // SS Rye by S27 // Dotterel (beached) by S29 and SS Togston by S102. During the attack 14 men lost their lives from aboard the Norman Queen, these being 12 crew members and 2 gunners with 1 crew member being taken as a prisoner of war.
Below ... Drawing of the Norman Queen (Reference Channel Island Shipping)
Below ... The bell of the Norman Queen. Recovered by Jaymes Brown. Photograph courtesy of Jaymes Brown.
Below ... LEFT Dolphin compass binnacle stand recovered from the Norman queen. Courtesy of Lincoln Barnwell. Right.. How the compass would have been mounted.
Lost crew members
John Henry Abrams, Chief Officer // William Clarence Butler, Fireman // Clifton Jack Carter, Able Seaman // John Alfred Cave, Able Seaman // Daniel Harrington, Fireman // Richard Cowell Humble, Able Seaman // Norman Hunter, Steward // Jerimiah James Laurenson, Second Officer // Charles Joseph Edward Moss, Ordinary Seaman //James Murphy, Fireman // William Francis Peters, Chief Engineer Officer // John Thomas Prior, Second Engineer Officer.
Burntisland Shipbuilding Company Ltd, builders of the Norman Queen ... Burntisland Shipbuilding Co. opened at Burntisland West Dock in 1918 as an emergency shipyard during World War 1. The yard was managed by the Ayre Brothers, Amos and Wilfrid. They built a four berth yard and this enabled them to build ships up to 450 feet in length. This hi-tech shipbuilding "factory" also included an extensive railway system to carry steel to the various parts of the yard. - -In 1918 the first three ships to be built were standard "C" types, the yard then went on to build five-hold three-island tramps and twenty four-hold engines-amidship colliers.
The yard also built "Arch-deck" colliers. In the 1920s the yard built a number of large tramps and from 1921 to 1929 the yard made 12 such vessels. The orders for colliers and coasters were constant during the interwar yea rs and this managed to keep the yard solvent. During the 1930s the yard made a number of "flat-iron" colliers and coasters. In the mid 30s the demand for "Burntisland Economies" continued, and over a dozen of these were completed from 1935 to 1939. - - During WWII the yard made three "Loch" class frigates and sixty merchant hulls, tramps and colliers. In addition a number of orders were received from he Government for tramps, merchant aircraft carriers and a coaster.
The yard was also making ships for private customers. - - From 1945 to 1965 the Burntisland Yard consolidated its reputation for high quality tramps and cargo-liners by making over 50 vessels.
David Rowan & Co Ltd .... Builders of the Norman Queens engine.
Marine engineers and boilermakers of Glasgow. David Rowan & Co, made engines for shipbuilders who did not have their own engine works. In 1866 David Rowan went into business making marine engines. In 1885 James Rowan was made a partner with his father, the title of the firm becoming Messrs. David Rowan & Son. In 1961 company acquired by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Co.
London & Channel Islands Shipping Company - Cheeswright & Ford - British Channel Islands, London ... Owners of the Norman Queen at the time of her sinking.
Below .... Another view of the Norman Queen whilst in port (Reference Channel Island Shipping)
The Norman Queen today
Awaiting divers report.