Digitaal monument

Met geschut tot zinken gebracht. (1918)

Betrokkenen

Toedracht

Jacobus de Niet: zijn broer Evert- kwam in oktober 1917 om op de SCH 183 'Arend Korporaal.'

Cornelis Spaans: zijn broers Maarten- en Arie kwamen in september 1903 om op de SCH 162 'De Jonge Johannes.'

Wouter van der Toorn: zijn broer Matthijs- kwam in januari 1916 om op de SCH 253 'Anna.'

In januari 2015 had ik contact met het 'U-Boot-Archiv' in het Duitse Cuxhaven-Altenbruch. Zie hieronder:

Dear Mr. van der Torn,

My name is Peter Monte and I am one of the many volunteers at the German U-Boat Museum and Archive helping its founder and still managing director, meanwhile 90 years old Horst Bredow, to tackle the daily work at the museum and archive, in particular dealing with international correspondence. Horst Bredow has asked me to thank you very much for your letter of 29 Jan 2015 where you inquire possible documents giving evidence of the sinking of the Dutch fishing vessel "Maria Catharina".  The "Maria Catharina" was sunk by artillery by the German U-Boat SM U-55 on 21 Jan 1918 at position 52 degrees 47 minutes north and 003 degrees 28 minutes East. I have enclosed an extract from the war diary of U-Boat U-55 of the Imperial German Navy where you find at the bottom of page (3) and the top of page (4) an entry marking the sinking of  an "unknown fishtrawler, about 50 to, by artillery". The Naval Historial Team that did analyse the war diaries of the Imperial German Navy in the 1930/1940ies  marked later in the war diary its identification "Dutch fishtrawler Maria Catharina". The last page (5) of my attachments shows the list of vessels sunk by U-55 during its combat patrol btw. 29 Dec 1917 to 22 Jan 1918.

 I do hope that meets your requirements.

 We would appreciate a small donation to the German U-Boat Museum and Archive as our work relies entirely on membership fees and donations.

Best regards

Peter Monte