ENSIS

[TEESMAN]

Photo Michael Green

Photo Michael Green

ENSIS at North Tees 20.10.81 and QEII 25.09.81

[Hornbeam]

The Wartime “Ensis” had quite a story to tell, her Crew were certainly extremely brave and ingenious, very similar to the San Demetrio saga.
I never fancied sailing on Tankers in peacetime never mind Wartime.

[northeast]

This ENSIS, 3 times lucky!

At 13.25 hours on 8 Jun 1941, U-46 fired a spread of two torpedoes on the unescorted Ensis in 48°46N/29°14W (grid BD 3748). The tanker was en route from London to Curaçao in ballast. Both torpedoes hit, but one was a dud. The damaged ship proceeded under own power to St. Johns, arriving on 15 June.

At 01.10 hours on 4 Apr 1942, the Ensis was slightly damaged by 20mm gunfire from U-572 in 35°43N/66°08W (grid CB 7588).

At 17.04 hours on 29 Feb 1944 the Ensis was torpedoed and damaged by U-407, while in an unknown convoy in the Mediterranean.

[Hornbeam]

I was thinking more along the lines of the Crew taking to the boats NE only to find the vessel still afloat, then deciding to reboard and get her going to complete the voyage. Very similar to the San Demetrio.