Technical
general cargo vessel
steam turbine - single screw
6,813 GRT - 10,392 DWT
477'4" x 60'2" x 26'3"
Service speed 13 knots

While anchored off Liberty Island, New York, the Zaanland got into trouble when on the turn of the tide at high water she swung and got her stern stuck on the bottom. She managed to get off but in doing so struck the Elin K. The collision caused a serious leak in Zaanland's forepeak. At the shipyard of the Bethlehem Steel Company the damage was repaired by filling the peak with cement. This incident caused the Zaanland to miss convoys but she was ready in time to join HX-229.

U-758 fired a Fat torpedo at a freighter of 6,000 GRT and 3 minutes 30 seconds later observed a hit in the stern and a mast-high white detonation column. U-758 saw the ship sinking in one minute, this was however wrong. The Zaanland's Chief Officer P.G. van Altveer testified that it took at least 10 minutes for the Zaanland to sink. The ship had been torpedoed on the starboard side abreast of the mainmast, which collapsed, falling onto the after end of the boat-deck. Zaanland's Master could hear water rushing into the engine-room with great force and fuel oil was gushing up from the tanks below, flooding the deck and running overboard where it did at least calm the surface of the water around the sinking ship.

The Master ordered abandon ship. All hands took to the lifeboats and then the Zaanland went down, stern first. With her bows high in the air a rumble like thunder was heard, probably the boilers crashing through the bulkheads and sparks were seen on the forecastle, probably caused by the anchor chains running away. Soon thereafter the ship was gone.

Thanks to Walter Janssens for extra information on this page.

Unless otherwise stated, all dates and times are from the German perspective and are given in CET.
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