HMT Orsino
HMT Orsino. (No 602) 28/09/1916
Displacement: 172 grt.
Length: 33.1 m. Beam: 6.4 m. Draught: m.
Propulsion: Steam, 1 x boiler Triple Expansion Engine.
Complement: 10 officers and men.
Crew Lost: 6
Armament: 1 x 3pdr
The Orsino was a steel steam trawler built by Mackie & Thomson Co. Glasgow in 1906. Registered in Hull with the fishing number was H854, Orsino was hired to the Royal Navy as a patrol vessel and was given pennant number FY602.
HMT Orsino left Stromness to patrol the swept channel off the north coast of Scotland on the 26th September 1916 for a two day patrol, due to return on the 28th September 1916 but failed to do so. It was originally believed that HMT Orsino had struck a mine or was lost to some other cause with the loss of all crew and in October 1916 a section of the wheelhouse, belonging to HMT Orsino, washed ashore in the Bay of Ireland, off Stromness, with shell fragments embedded in it. (National Archive ADM 1/8468/232).
It was later learned that six men died in the attack and four of the crew were taken prisoner by the U-boat U 55 (Wilhelm Werner) and landed in Helgoland.
U55
The logbook (KTB)(Kriegstagebücher) from U55 on 28/09/1916 has the following entry translated .......
“Piloting to Pentland Firth when 10 points to port a steamer heading north is sighted, Submerged. Steamer cannot really be identified. Distance about 2500 (meters). Because it could be an auxiliary ship of some sort, followed the ship with high speed. Course 265°. Steamer went out of sight in the fog. Hunt cancelled. Course leads into Möve-Mines area. While pursuing, passed an outpost ship at 10.15 in a distance of 2000 meters; to prevent a position being signalled of the U boats position by the steamer, steamer sunk with artillery. Square 043 alpha. Four prisoners were taken on board. Steamer was a fish steamer, Admiralty Nr. 602, fishing Nr. 864, with a 7,6cm gun, 12 man crew. ''
The left margin has typed ‘visibility 1 to 2 miles, For Pentland Firth. East by South 5 (wind) Fog and rain.’
Written by hand in margin is ''10 miles, Thurso. Process combat 1 hit”.
The logbook (KTB)(Kriegstagebücher) from U55 on 28/09/1916 has the following entry translated .......
“Piloting to Pentland Firth when 10 points to port a steamer heading north is sighted, Submerged. Steamer cannot really be identified. Distance about 2500 (meters). Because it could be an auxiliary ship of some sort, followed the ship with high speed. Course 265°. Steamer went out of sight in the fog. Hunt cancelled. Course leads into Möve-Mines area. While pursuing, passed an outpost ship at 10.15 in a distance of 2000 meters; to prevent a position being signalled of the U boats position by the steamer, steamer sunk with artillery. Square 043 alpha. Four prisoners were taken on board. Steamer was a fish steamer, Admiralty Nr. 602, fishing Nr. 864, with a 7,6cm gun, 12 man crew. ''
The left margin has typed ‘visibility 1 to 2 miles, For Pentland Firth. East by South 5 (wind) Fog and rain.’
Written by hand in margin is ''10 miles, Thurso. Process combat 1 hit”.
U55’s KTB shows that the attack took place in grid square 043 alpha. This is a coded grid. The image above taken from U 33s KTB shows where 043 alpha is located.
The Crew (Research ongoing)
Crew Lost
BLOW, Tom, Engineman, RNR, ES 1393
BOWLES, John, Alexander, Deck Hand, RNR, DA 1400
COWIE, George, 2nd Hand, RNR, SA 1117
GRINLAW, Thomas, Ty/Skipper, RNR SA 993
KIRKPATRICK, Charles, Deck Hand, RNR, DA 8003
WOOD, Alexander, Deck Hand, RNR, DA 9523
Taken Prisoner
After HMT Orsino was sunk four survivors were found by the U55 and taken prisoner. All were slightly injured and were landed by U55 to a hospital at Helgoland. The survivors were:
DIBDIN, Thomas, Campbell, Trimmer. RNR TS 998
WOODROFF, William, Redman, Chief Petty Officer, RNR ES 721
NEW, James, Edward, Deck Hand, RNR DA 9553
HUMPHREY Thomas, Edward, Deck Hand, RNR C 2718
DIBDIN, Thomas, Campbell, Trimmer. RNR TS 998
WOODROFF, William, Redman, Chief Petty Officer, RNR ES 721
NEW, James, Edward, Deck Hand, RNR DA 9553
HUMPHREY Thomas, Edward, Deck Hand, RNR C 2718
From ADM 1/8468/232
When considered fit the prisoners were sent to a Prisoner of War camp.
A letter from Berlin dated received 21/11/1916 states Dibdin, Woodroff and New were sent to Brandenburg POW camp near Berlin but there was no mention of Humphrey.
Brandenburg Prison of War camp (Brandenburg An Der Havel) was a camp 40 miles west of Berlin. Many Royal Navy and merchant sailor's of various nationality's were held here. Most prisoners would arrive at the camp via barges on the river Havel.
A later report dated 28th November 1916 states Humphrey was taken from fortress hospital Helgoland to fortress hospital Wilhelmshaven suffering from a wound to his back.
A letter from Berlin dated received 21/11/1916 states Dibdin, Woodroff and New were sent to Brandenburg POW camp near Berlin but there was no mention of Humphrey.
Brandenburg Prison of War camp (Brandenburg An Der Havel) was a camp 40 miles west of Berlin. Many Royal Navy and merchant sailor's of various nationality's were held here. Most prisoners would arrive at the camp via barges on the river Havel.
A later report dated 28th November 1916 states Humphrey was taken from fortress hospital Helgoland to fortress hospital Wilhelmshaven suffering from a wound to his back.
