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On 17 January 1941, Nyholt, away from convoy ON-52, was hit by a torpedo at 3:59 am launched from U-87 180 miles (290 km) south of Cape Race, Newfoundland. Four other torpedoes were fired and missed the target. At 8:21 am, another torpedo was fired and hit the port centre of the Nyholt. Four minutes later, another torpedo was launched from the submarine and missed the target, after a chase and an attempt to ram the freighter against the submersible. A final torpedo was launched from the stern tube and lost in the ocean. At 8:26 am, the submarine surfaced and opened fire with its deck gun. Of the 120 shells fired, 70 hit the Nyholt, which sank in position 45°46'N/54°18'W. Around the 21st, the lifeboats were separated by a violent storm. On the 26th, one lifeboat was spotted by a reconnaissance aircraft. The survivors were picked up by the Canadian destroyer HMCS St. Clair (I-65) and landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the 27th. The tragedy claimed the lives of 20 of the 41 crew members on board.
In the Books of Remembrance
Commemorated on:
Page 157 of the Merchant Navy Book of Remembrance.
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