The Swedish collier, Hanna, 13 March 1915
The Swedish collier Hanna has variously been reported as being torpedoed and mined. The ship’s second officer claims to have seen the wake of a torpedo, but as no submarine was spotted, it is probable that the ship struck one of Kolberg’s mines as the ship was within the area where the minefield had been laid. Indeed, the ships’s first engineer, who had served in the Swedish navy for five and half years, was convinced that the ship had struck a mine. The captain also reported that the night was so dark that it would have been impossible to see anything in the water.
The Hanna was bound for Las Palmas with coal from the Tyne. Around 01.40 on 13 March 1915, the second officer was on watch and reported that he saw the wash from a torpedo on the starboard side. A huge explosion quickly followed, which killed six of the eight men asleep in the forecastle. They were four firemen, the boatswain, and the mess steward. The two survivors in the forecastle, although badly injured managed to escape. The Hanna began to sink immediately and the surviving crew took to the lifeboats. They were picked up by the steamer Gylier and landed at Alexandra Dock, Hull.
The German policy of sinking all vessels in the North Sea was not in force at this time, which suggests that a mine may have been the reason for the sinking. The chief officer said the vessel had the national colours painted at both ends, and also the steamer's name and nationality in letters reaching from the bulwark to the water-line. ‘We left the Tyne,’ he said, ‘at four o' clock yesterday afternoon in company with another steamer, the August Leffler, having agreed to keep in touch with one another. She was ahead of us. When were between Scarborough and Flamborough we were torpedoed by the submarine. The fore part of the vessel was wrecked, and she commenced to settle down by the head. I was below at the time, but the tremendous detonation awoke me. The ship was trembling from stem to stern.
‘I put some clothes on and rushed on deck, and heard someone call, “Life-boats out”. I went to my boat and Captain Marledge had charge of the other boat. Six got into my boat and eight into the captain's, including an English pilot, Mr Scott. I think the six lost were killed by the explosion, for they were in their bunks in the forecastle. Two of the crew managed to get out by forcing the door, but there was chance to get at the others. We stayed alongside the ship for ten minutes shouting, 'Is there anybody aboard?' but we could not get any answer. We then pulled ahead.’
The explosion occurred near the foremast and the ship remained afloat for half an hour. The crew were picked up by the accompanying ship the August Leffler and were transhipped to the Norwegian vessel Gyller when off the Spurn lighthouse. They were landed at Hull’s Alexandra Dock. Two of the survivors were suffering from head wounds caused by flying debris when the ship was mined. One was the look out who was blown into the air by the explosion and landed on the ship’s winch. The injured were treated by Dr. Holder of Hull. The crew were taken to the Scandinavian Sailors’ Home, whilst the officers were accommodated at the London Hotel.
Crewmen killed on Hanna
Harald Karlsson, boatswain, born 1893
Karl Pettersson, fireman, born 1889
Vilhelm Nilsson, fireman, born 1895
Karl Kronlund, fireman, date of birth unknown
Nils Kronlund, fireman, born 1892
Algot Lundström, mess steward, born 1898
Survivors
Captain: Norling (Liverpool newspapers claimed captain was Marledge)
Chief Officer: Pyk
Second Officer: Sant
Chief Engineer: Svensson
Second Engineer: Anderson
Deck hands:
Carl Persson
Eric Larsson
Paul Anderson
Martin Olsson
Gustav Hedman
Firemen:
Jan Nilsson
W. Svensson
Stewardess: Mrs T. Lundberg
Cook: Hans Nilsson
North Sea Pilot: Scott
