shipstamps.co.uk

MERKUR (coaster) Sweden #1129 (1975) 90ø grn 1950 - Diedrich
Wennhold, Flensburg; Flenaburger Masch., Flensburg. Gt 400, nt 249;
155'6" x 24'8" x 10'10" draft; 6-cyl. diesel, 300 bhp, 9 kn. The Stamp shows her covered with ice, Air Force helicopter hovering overhead.


As reported in the "John O'Groat Journal" (Friday 11th December 1959).


"Two Ships Wrecked On Caithness Coast During Fierce Gale."
One of the worst storms in living memory has brought disaster to shipping and caused great loss of life. Scotland felt the full fury of the gale which broke on Sunday, abating Thursday. For four days mountainous seas lashed the coast and ships on voyage were at the mercy of the storm. On the Caithness coast, two vessels were wrecked and 13 lives were lost.

Two other ships - the Norwegian freighter Elfrida and the German coaster Merkur - foundered in the North Sea on Wednesday with a total loss of 27 lives (20 on the Elfrida and seven on the Merkur). Other vessels have been riding out the storm since it began, and a number of ships have not been heard of for days.
Detail from web and SS ency.

Sweden SG860

Built as a cargo vessel under yard No 106 by Johannsen Sorensen (Flensburger Maschinenbauanstalt), Flensburg, West Germany for Trottelvitz & Pisch, Flensburg.
21 August 1950 launched under the name MERKUR.
Tonnage 291 grt, 493 dwt., dim 38.4 x 7.55m.
One 6-cyl. SA diesel engine, manufactured by Masch. Kiel A.G., Kiel, 300 bhp., speed 9 knots.
November 1950 completed.

A small German coaster used for all kinds of cargo between ports in Northern Europe.
1952 Lengthened, new tonnage 400 grt., 275 net., 550 dwt., dim. 47.36 x 7.55 x 3.32m. (draught).

07 December 1959 at 8.30 am when underway in the North Sea and near the Norwegian coast under command of Capt Rasmussen and a crew of 7 men, during heavy weather with winds up to hurricane force the hatch covering tarpaulin on hatch No 1 was torn partly off, and overcoming seas on the now partly bare-covered hatch entered the hold, also water had entered the oil tank and the engine was given trouble.
A “Mayday “call was given by Capt Rasmussen which was answered by ships in the vicinity and also the coastguard replied.
When the Swedish ship RAUNALA arrived on the scene, the crew wanted to leave the MERKUR, they were afraid the vessel was sinking.
They jumped overboard connected with a lifeline to try to swim to the RAUNALA except the captain which stayed behind, Capt Rasmussen was later swept overboard by a sea and he was the only crew member who was rescued by the RAUNALA, he was lucky that he could get hold of a rescue line, the other seven men drowned.
At that time her owner was Diedrich Wennhold.

The next day the MERKUR was sighted still afloat and she was towed safely in port.

Log Book give, the stamp shows her covered in ice (I do not see any ice at all), with an Air Force helicopter hovering overhead.


http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz gives that she was scrapped in 1972, while Lloyds Register deleted her in 1987.

Source: Lloyds Register 1955/56 Log Book. Navicula http://www.zeit.de/1960/08/Rette-sidi-wer-kann .