The Bandoeng was a steamer of the Rotterdamsche Lloyd. On a voyage with a cargo of general cargo from Batavia to Rotterdam, the Bandoeng was ordered to go to the British port of Falmouth for inspection. After the inspection it was released and left Falmouth on February 22nd, 1917 for Rotterdam in a convoy with six other Dutch ships, with an guarantee of the German government. Notwithstanding this guarantee, the convoy was stopped on Februari 22nd by the U-21 at about 20 nautical miles west of Bishop Rock. They had been sailing west from Falmouth to reach neutral waters.

Stichting Maritiem historische databank

Neutral convoy destroyed

The captain of the Bandoeng tried to negotiate with the commander of the submarine but to no avail. The crews were ordered to go into the boats. Six of the seven ships were sunk: asides from the Bandoeng also the Jacatra, Noorderdijk, Eemland, Gaasterland and the Zaandijk. The Menado was the only ship that stayed afloat, even though it was heavily damaged.

The Noorderdijk and the Jacatra were torpedoed. The rest was sunk with bombs that the German crew placed on the other ships. This was done from one of the lifeboats of the Bandoeng which had been commissioned by the Germans for this purpose.

De aanval op de zeven schepen, 1917

All six passengers and the 48 crew members could leave the Bandoeng and safely reached the shore. Though it was a heavy stretch of rowing due to the increasing wind. They were picked up by a British patrol vessel near Bishop Rock.

After long negotiations, the German government offered a German ship that was lying in the Dutch East Indies, which from then sailed under the same name.

De aanval op de zeven schepen, 1917

Yard: Bonn & Mees, Rotterdam/Katendrecht

Propulsion: triple expansion steam engine.

• Stichting Maritiem Historische Databank.
  Bandoeng ID 785.
• Delpher.
  Delftsche courant (02-06-1917).
• Delpher.
  De Courant (02-06-1917).
• Hodder & Stoughton (1917).
  De aanval op de zeven schepen.
  London, New York, Toronto.
• Nationaal Archief, Den Haag.
  Raad voor de Scheepvaart.
  2.16.58; 130.