On 11 September 1939, the Dutch ship Stad Maastricht entered the port of Faial, in the Azores, carrying on board 41 crew members of the British merchant ship Rio Claro, sunk days earlier by the German submarine U-47.

One British officer and 32 crew members of Chinese nationality later embarked on the Italian ship Vulcania and disembarked in Lisbon on 11 October. The British officer stayed at the Hotel Bragança, while the others were lodged at the Hotel Sul Americano, awaiting an opportunity for repatriation.

The Rio Claro was sailing from Sunderland, United Kingdom, to Montevideo, Uruguay, when it was intercepted by U-47 on 6 September 1939. After noticing the presence of the submarine, the British crew transmitted several distress calls, but when they were hit by two artillery shots, Captain John Robson ordered two lifeboats to be lowered and the ship to be abandoned.

The U-boat, commanded by Günter Prien, demanded that the captain hand over the ship’s documents, but the British had thrown them overboard at the beginning of the attack. When the German asked whether they had provisions, he received a positive reply. He also showed willingness to tow them closer to land, but since they had already sent distress signals (SOS), this was to danger to be done.

The encounter ended with the firing of a torpedo to sink the Rio Claro, which was drifting.

Three hours later, the 41 crew members were picked up by the Stad Maastricht. In his report, Robson states that they were very well treated by the Dutch crew, who showed themselves to be anti-Nazi.

Carlos Guerreiro