Norwegian steamship Avra, en route Penarth, Wales, to Blaye, France, with cargo of coal, sunk by submarine without warning on morning of March 19. Nationality of submarine not definitely known, suspected German. Two torpedoes fired, one striking bow, second amidships. Ship sank in about 30 minutes. Night cloudy. Long swell at sea. Crew took to lifeboats and were picked up by Greek ship, conveyed to La Palice, France. Attack made 8 miles southeast of Chassiron Light, Ile d'Oléron, about equal distance from coast of France. Crew of 22 ; 17 landed, 4 drowned, 1 missing. One American, Thomas A. Waters of 1306 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa., on board at time, saved. Waters sustained four wounds of minor importance. Full report and depositions follow by mail. - Goodier - Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917, Supplement 1, The World War - pub. 1931 [1090] [499] 23rd March 1917.

1892 Built as s.s. Rosina Mendl by John Priestman & Company, Southwick, Sunderland, England for Rosina Mendl Steamship Co. Ltd (F. Mendl & Co.), London, England. Launched 24/05, completed in July.

She was of 2,132 gross and 1,519 net register tons being 296.6 ft. long x 39.2 ft. breath x 18.2 ft. deep.

1901 Sold to A. Z. Negroponte, Syra, Greece. Renamed s.s. Avra.

1916 Renamed s.s. Bergsli.

1917 Mined and sunk 19/03 approx. 3 nm from Chassiron Light House on Oleron, France whilst on a voyage from Penarth, Wales to Blaye, France with 3,246 tons of coal. She broke in two and sank in 5 minutes. 4 of her crew died. The rest was after one hour saved by the Greek s.s. Efstratios and landed in La Pallice, France. The mine was laid out 15/03 by the German submarine UC-70 (Oberleutnant zur See Werner Fürbringer). [1091]

A conflicting report is published within Dictionary of Disasters at Sea During the Age of Steam [799] : -

Avra ; Ellingsen & Johannrsen ; 1892 ; J.Priestmann & Co. ; 2,133 tons ; 296.6 x 39.2 x 18.2 ; 256 n.h.p. ; tripe-expansion engines. the Norwegian steamship Avra struck a mine and sanl on March 19th, 1917, in the Bay of Biscay.

The Durham Record Office hold the following plan of the vessel : -

Ref: D/AP 30 ; General arrangement of s.s. Rosina Mendl, no date. Scale: 1/8 inch to 1 foot (1 plan)