# Hanne S lost off Greenland 1960



## Kenneth Iain Cam Taylor (Jul 16, 2013)

Hi everyone,

I was in Illorsuit, Uummannaq, Greenland (researching seal hunting by kayak) in 1959.
In October of that year I returned to Copenhagen on the m.s. Hanne S.
She was the first Danish ship to leave for Greenland in 1960. She was lost with all hands somewhere off Cape Farewell.

Only a few days ago I found on the internet reference to the fact that the Danish frigate F340 Thetis (formerly the HMS Geranium) took part in the search.

Does anyone out there have any information on that shipwreck and search?

With thanks and best wishes,
Ken Taylor


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## audierne (Sep 20, 2008)

Good evening Kenneth,
Are you sure of the name?
Lost on Jan.30th 1959 was ""Hans Hedtoft"", a 2,875 ton vessel specifically designed to maintain a link between Denmark and Greenland.
The ship made its first crossing to Greenland on Jan. 7th 1959 and left to return on Jan 29th. 
She sent a message on the 30th asking for assistance after hitting an iceberg.
She was lost with all hands and no wreckage of any kind was ever found. There were 55 passengers and 40 crew. 
She was therefore lost on the return leg of her maiden voyage, unlike the Titanic but like Waratah and Magdalena.
ships involved in the search were :
""Johanna Kruess"", a German trawler,
""USCG Campbell"",
Also involved were " three Danish ships, another German trawler and a C-4 aicraft.
Information from "Disasters at sea" Patrick Stephens ltd 1987, by Milton H Watson. 
Regards,
Gerard


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## Kenneth Iain Cam Taylor (Jul 16, 2013)

Hi audierne,

Thanks for your reply and info on the Hans Hedtoft wreck and search.
As you say, that was in January 1959.
I travelled to Greenland in August 1959, aboard the m.s. Umanak. It and all the ships travelling to Greenland, by that time, had their hulls painted a bright orange red as a safety/search measure -- one of many responses to the loss of the Hans Hedtoft.
When I then left in October 1959 it was indeed on a small ship called the Hanne S, which was then tragically lost with all hands in early 1960.
Here is the URL for the web page I just recently came across about that wreck and the search that was attempted.

http://www.maritimevenner.com/LeoLundHanneS.html

Whatever little Danish I knew in 1959-60 I've almost completely forgotten, so I haven't yet been able to read the info on that web page.

Best wishes,
Ken Taylor


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## ted nutt (Dec 4, 2008)

Morning Ken,from Lloyds Casualty Returns, left Ivigut 27th April and last reported by wireless 29th in position 58-54N 044-54W. On passage Ivigut - Copenhagen
with Cryolite and general cargo.
Ted


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## Kenneth Iain Cam Taylor (Jul 16, 2013)

Hi Ted Nutt,

Many thanks for this info from/re Lloyds.

So the Hanne S. did in fact reach Greenland and was on its return trip when lost.

By coincidence, Ivigtut had also been her last port of call in October 1959.

Best,
Ken Taylor


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## audierne (Sep 20, 2008)

Good evening, Kenneth,
Sorry about the mix-up.
Is there a photo of Hanna S ? How big was she ?
How tragic that two ships should have been lost on the same run so soon after one another.
Regards,
Gerard


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## Kenneth Iain Cam Taylor (Jul 16, 2013)

audierne,

still looking for a photo of Hanne S.

meantime, here is one of the m.s. Tikerak S., in Uummannaq harbor, first days of October 1959. Close to same size as Hanne S. if I remember correctly.

on the Hanne S. I was one of just three passengers.

The ships had names ???? S. as all owned by a shipping line called Sørensen.

so ... I hit upload for the Tikerak photo, did that happen?
Hope so, best, 
Ken


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## Leo Lund (Jul 27, 2013)

I am the Leo Lund, referred to on the homepage ”maritimevenner.com”. To those, who do not understand Danish I can I can translate following from what I have told on the homepage.
I served in the Danish marine in 1959 and 1960 as “Teleplotter” (specialist in radar and sonar). From December 1959 to October 1960 I was onboard the frigate “Thetis”. Late in April 1960 – obviously on Monday 25.4. – “Thetis” left Copenhagen bound for Greenland. 3 days later we made a stop on the Faeroe Islands to bunker oil. The weather had been fine to the FI, and so it was as we left FI. Friday 29.4. as we were situated between FI and Greenland we entered a zone with very heavy storm, and we received a message that contact with “Hanne S” had been lost. The latest known position was south of Cape Farewel. “Thetis” was set on full speed (12 knots) and we raced towards the storm, which had raised to a hurricane – and one of the big ones. The difference between the top and the bottom of the seas was about 40 meters, so everything were locked onboard “Thetis”. If it was necessary to come out on the deck, then you would first have a rope around your live.
As we reached the position, where “Hanne S” had latest been located we started to search for ship and survivors. We searched for nearly one week 24 hours a day, but we only found wreckage – no persons. On Friday 6.5. we were nearly out of oil, and we were allowed to stop the search.
What we found, and what we saw led us to the konklution, that “Hanne S” had been hit of an enormous sea and that the shipwreck had taken place within a few seconds. Everything we found were total crashed.
A Danish author, Mogens Bøeg-Jensen, has written a book “Sidste melding – kraftig storm” (Last info – heavy storm) about the shipwreck of “Hanne S”. I do not know, if the book is translated in english.
July 27 2013
Leo Lund
Arildsvej 53
DK 8800 Viborg
[email protected]


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## Leo Lund (Jul 27, 2013)

Hi Again Kenneth
I have put the whole story from "maritimevenner.com" into at translation program from Google, and here is what came out. I hope it is a help for you.
Kind regards
Leo Lund

The morale of the crew were top notch. We had in the beginning been on fishing controls in the Faroe Islands, so we were used to the Atlantic whims. And now we looked forward to new experiences in the next six months with a considerably higher wages than the 14 kr per week, as we had previously received. We had been promised the so-called Greenland surcharges for the time and cir***stances could give a pretty good earnings. But we should be wiser, it turned out later. The report submitted must wait for another time.

We had a quiet sailing in the first day with pretty normal Atlantic weather. Friday, 29.4. it was starting to blow forcefully. We were then in the waters between Iceland and Greenland and we received a radio message that they had lost radio contact with "Hannes" from the shipping company AE Sorensen in Svendborg. Last radio contact with the ship was early on the morning of 29.4. at a position south of Cape Farewell Since we were only good for a day sail from this position was put extra steam boilers, and we hurried to the spot with top speed, ie 11-12 knots. The weather got worse and worse and eventually it was full hurricane, so everything was battened down and there was a total ban on movement on deck. There was so much slingerage that we could go alternately on deck and bulkheads and everything should be secured so as not to fly around in the air. I remember that carpenter at one point stood with me in plotterrummet under the bridge. Out of portholes we could look out over the bow, and it looked really out violently. Suddenly a wave that was so loud that we could not see the top, and the carpenter exclaimed that it was at least 50 meters high. It was probably on the high side, but from MBJs book, I learned that 37 m could have been the correct height. In the book it is stated also that a Faroese mate who also had been in the waters without knowing the sinking, a Faroese newspaper had reported that the waves were so big that no one aboard his ship had ever seen anything like it.

Saturday 30.4. we approached the last known position of "Hanne S". On the radio they had constantly tried to make contact with "Hanne S", and we have two plotters had alternately sat with his eyes fixed on the radar. Based on the last known position we sought now in power and wind direction with multiple lookout, but first Monday 2.5. we caught sight of the first things. From a distance it looked as if it was the head of a person, but it turned out to be a piece of flotsam that we got caught up as the weather had become more calm. We could now follow a track with more debris. We found, inter alia, bottom of a lifeboat, a drawer, as judged by wood species might well be from the wheelhouse, a piece of the bottom of a boat (see photo) and a few crates (see photo). For those of us who saw the wreckage in the sea, there was no doubt about what had happened. It was as if everything had been smashed with a big hammer, so I think that the experts on board was convinced that "Hanne S" had been hit by a wrong lake and simply pressed into the depths in no time. Therefore, I am amazed that I MBJs book can read that by søforhøret could not agree on what caused the sinking. There was almost feeling that the ship had crashed into ice floe and had been since torn up and then had capsized. It amazes me that no one from the "Thetis" was summoned to søforhøret.

We searched further for several days and found still more wreckage, but we found no trace of the occupants. All the "Thetis" was well aware that no one could have survived under the existing conditions, and it was depressing to think about. I have since thought that it was strange that I did not at any point in the search process feared for my own safety. It was after all quite extreme conditions we had been thrown in.

Friday, 6.5. we were running out of oil, and "Thetis" was permitted to withdraw from the search to go to Green Valley for bunkering. Shortly after, all the search set, without you found additional tracks, so what really happened, remains as so many things at sea a secret that is buried somewhere on the seabed.

Since it had been a tough week both physically and mentally we were in Green Valley for a few days, where we had the opportunity for a visit to cryolite in Ivigtut. Then we sailed to Nuuk, which was the ultimate goal.

Arrived in Nuuk we heard that on Sunday, 15.5. would be held a memorial service for the 18 victims (15 sailors and 3 passengers). We were 3 or 4 crewmembers who found it odd that there was not planned any official participation of the "Thetis" by this worship, so we decided that we would make good. We went off, but when we got to the church was filled to capacity and there were many people outside the church, where we also took up positions. In one way or another, there must be passed message through the crowd about our presence, because we were brought into the church and placed on the top bench, which had been cleared. I remember that the preacher in his memorial sermon touched on the major efforts in the search, as "Thetis" had been granted and that they were pleased that there were representatives of the ship present. I can not remember who the other guests were, but I would like to know what they remember. For me it stands as the most poignant I have ever experienced, and I can still now almost 50 years later be moved, when I think of the event. It is here were talking about was indeed that were shown mutual respect, so for me it was a positive meeting with Nuuk, Greenland and its population.

It was while everything was still new and exciting, but I can not fail to wonder about the fact that there were a few privates guests to find out that "Thetis" should be represented at the memorial service, perhaps it was the first signal that much would go wrong in the next few months.


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## Kenneth Iain Cam Taylor (Jul 16, 2013)

*more on Hanne S*

Dear Leo Lund,

Thank you so much for your two posts.

It is so amazing to hear from you who were actually there and part of the search for the Hanne S.

Thanks both for your personal story and for going to the trouble of putting the report through a translation -- something I rarely have any luck with!

Also for telling us about Mogens Bøeg-Jensen's book “Sidste melding – kraftig storm.” As you say, it probably never was translated into English but I'm searching the internet just in case. 

You say: "perhaps it was the first signal that much would go wrong in the next few months." Do you feel like elaborating on that?

By the way, after I returned from Greenland I lived for one year in Kobenhavn. I loved it all! The city, the people, the way of life, the culture, everything. I have wonderful memories of that year. If you are at all interested in ballet, that was the year when Erik Bruhn and Flemming Flindt were the principal male dancers. I got to see them both dance. 

Again my thanks,
it touches me deeply to have heard from you who were actually there.
With best wishes,
Kenneth


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## Leo Lund (Jul 27, 2013)

Dear Kenneth,
I am glad to hear that the Google translation has been usable for you. To understand my remarks about things going wrong you have to read all my stories. Go to our site “maritimevenner.com” Under “Thetis gaster” you find me, and there you can read my stories. For those who do not understand Danish, make a copy and put it into a translation program, then you will have a possibility to understand what I have written. What I can say here more than 50 years later is, that I had the feeling that I was onboard a pirate ship more than a naval frigate. We were away from Denmark for 6 months, and welfare and discipline onboard was more or less unknown.
Kind regards
Leo Lund


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