Telde.jpg U-boat target ship BOLKOBURG in the Danzig Bay, 1942/1943EsikatselukuvatWar transport PARANAGUA off the Belgian or Dutch coastline in August/September 1940U-boat target ship BOLKOBURG in the Danzig Bay, 1942/1943EsikatselukuvatWar transport PARANAGUA off the Belgian or Dutch coastline in August/September 1940
War transport TELDE (2978 grt / 1659 nrt)

12 April 1934: launched by the Deutsche Werft A.G., Reiherstiegwerft, Hamburg.
21 July 1934: completed as m/v SOFIA for the HAPAG, the Hamburg-America Line (mrgs. Deutsche Levante Linie).
1935: fully acquired by the Deutsche Levante Linie, Hamburg.
1938: resold to the Oldenburg-Portugiesische Dampfschiffs Reederei, Hamburg, and renamed TELDE.
25 Aug. 1939: recalled back to Germany whilst in port on The Canary Islands, left Las Palmas on 29 Aug. for Hamburg.
10 Sept. 1939: reached Germany via Iceland, the Faroes and Aalesund, Norway.
1940: requisitioned by the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) as a war transport, redesignated A-26 (A = Antwerp) on 16 Aug. for Operation Sea Lion, the planned invasion of Britain.
early 1941: returned to its civil owners, the Oldenburg-Portugiesische Dampfschiffs Reederei, receiving her former name TELDE.
13 Oct. 1943: struck a British air-laid mine at 2100 h near the Aalborg Lightvessel, Kattegat, run aground near Halsbarre to prevent ship from sinking.
late 1943: salvaged and repaired, returned back to service still in 1943.
8 May 1945: at Copenhagen when the war ended.
23 June 1945: declared as a war prize by Britain, arrived at Methil 7 July, taken over by MoWT and renamed EMPIRE HELMSDALE.
1946: allocated to the U.S. Maritime Commission and operated by the Sea Trade Corp., New York, new name: SEA TRADER.
1948: sold to the Italian Lloyd Triestino SpA di Navigazione, Triest, and renamed RISANO.
1972: arrived at Trieste for breaking up.

Text and Photo: Sebastian Boreck, Berlin