SS City of Flint

SS "City of Flint", a freighter of the United States Merchant Marine, was the first American ship captured by the Germans during World War II. Under the command of Captain Joseph H. Gainard, "City of Flint" first became involved in the war when she rescued 200 survivors of the torpedoed British passenger liner SS "Athenia" on 3 September 1939. The "Athenia" was torpedoed by the German submarine "U-30" that afternoon, and sent out a distress signal. Several ships responded. The Captain of HMS "Electra", LCDR Sammy A. Buss, was Senior Officer Present, so he took charge. He sent the destroyer HMS "Fame" on an anti-submarine sweep of the area, while "Electra", another destroyer HMS "Escort", the Swedish yacht "Southern Cross", the Norwegian cargo ship "Knute Nelson", and the "City of Flint" rescued the survivors. Between the ships, about 980 passengers and crew were rescued; only 112 people were lost, and "Athenia" sank the next morning.

On October 9, 1939, "City of Flint" was carrying 4000 tons of lubricating oil from New York to Britain while marked as a neutral ship. The pocket battleship "Deutschland" seized her some 1200 miles out from New York, declaring her cargo to be contraband and the ship a prize of war. A fifteen strong German prize crew painted out all US insignia and hoisted the German ensign.

To avoid the Royal Navy, the prize crew headed for Tromsø, arriving on 20 October 1939. The Norwegians, neutral at the time and disturbed by the sinking of the merchant SS "Lorentz W. Hansen", refused entry to the Germans, giving them 24 hours to leave. The RNoN destroyer HNoMS "Sleipner" escorted the "City of Flint" out of Norwegian territorial waters at 1620 hrs the next day. [Steen, pp. 38–42.]

The prize crew then sailed for Murmansk, claiming havarie (the privilege of sanctuary for damage caused at sea).The ship lay in Murmansk harbor under the control of the German prize crew forseveral days and was eventually sent out by the Russians, who stated that if the Germans claimed havarie, the American crew could not be prisoners of war.

In the several weeks that elapsed, the United States ordered many US merchant ships to register with other countries, so as to continue supporting the Allies without violating the US's nominal neutrality. The Royal Navy began closing on the captured ship.

The prize crew then tried Norway again, the port of Haugesund. The Norwegian government again refused entry, describing the German crew as kidnappers. The approaching Royal Navy left the prize crew no choice, though; on November 3 they entered the harbor. The Norwegian Admiralty dispatched the minelayer HNoMS "Olav Tryggvason" and boarded the "City of Flint" with its second in command, captain B. Dingsør and thirty armed sailors, who on November 6 returned "City of Flint" to Captain Gainard's command. He unloaded his cargo in Bergen and set sail in ballast for the US. The German prize crew was interned at Kongsvinger Fortress.

"City of Flint" continued in service in the Atlantic until she was sunk on January 23, 1943.

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