History
Name	Sneland I
Owner	Stange & Dreyer GmbH (1922-1925) Richard Amlie & Sverre Amlie (1925-1945)
Port of registry	Haugesund
Builder	Nüscke & Co., Stettin-Grabow
Completed	September 1922
Identification	Code Letters LCYF–LDWB
Fate	Torpedoed and sunk by U-2336, 7 May 1945
General characteristics
Type	Cargo ship
Tonnage	1,791 GRT
Length	82 m
Beam	13 m
Depth	5 m
Propulsion	Screw propeller
Crew	29

Sneland I (Norwegian for “snowland one”) was a 1,791 GRT cargo ship which was built by Nüscke & Co. shipyard at Stettin-Grabow (then Germany) in 1922. She was the last merchant ship to be torpedoed by Germany in the Second World War, on 7 May 1945, one day before German surrender.^[1]

History

The ship was built for the German shipping line Stange & Dreyer GmbH in 1922 and got the name Ingeborg. Three years later, in 1925, it was sold to the Norwegian shipping company Richard Amlie & Sverre Amlie (Amlie & Amlie) in Haugesund, and renamed Sneland I.

On 6 May 1945 the ship was a member of Convoy EN 491, which departed Hull bound for Belfast via Methil.^[2] On 7 May 1945, the convoy was attacked by U-2336 and two ships were sunk, Sneland I and Avondale Park, which became the last merchant ships to be sunk by a German U-boat during the Second World War. The sinking, at about 22:45 on 7 May 1945, was in the last hours of the Second World War in Europe, with the official surrender taking place at 23:01 on 8 May 1945.^[3]

Sneland I sank at 56°10′N 02°31′W / 56.167°N 2.517°W / 56.167; -2.517. Seven of the 29 crew were lost. A signal had been sent to the U-boats on 4 May 1945 ordering them to surrender but U-2336 did not receive the signal.^[4]

See also

• Actions of 7–8 May 1945

External links

• Image of Sneland I

References