Classification
- Incident Type: Hydrodynamic Interaction
- Severity: High
- Region: North Sea
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Vessel Name | Hans |
| Vessel Names | Hans; Hans Krüger |
| Vessel Type | Tug |
| Flag State | Germany [DE] |
| IMO Number | 6520715 |
| Gross Tonnage | 135 |
| LOA (m) | 26.6 |
| Breadth (m) | 7.2 |
| Year Built | 1965 |
| Power (kW) | 484.7 |
| Assisted Vessel | Hans Krüger, general cargo ship, 9,019 BRT |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Date | 1978-12-10 |
| Location | Hamburg |
| Coordinates | 53.5502, 10.0013 |
| Region | North Sea |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Injuries | |
| Missing | |
| Cargo Loss | |
| Direct Damage | |
| Economic Damage | |
Key facts
- International Tug & OSV identifies the casualty as a conventional tug accident in Hamburg while Hans was assisting the 9,019 BRT general cargo ship Hans Krüger.
- The tug sank and its captain drowned, according to the later tug-safety article.
- Lloyd's casualty returns record Hans as a 135 GT German tug built in 1965, later raised, sold, and partly broken up.
- A later safety analysis uses the casualty in its discussion of the hazards of working near a moving ship's bow and passing a towline at speed.
Narrative
The conventional tug Hans was assisting the general cargo ship Hans Krüger in Hamburg on 10 December 1978. A later article in International Tug & OSV identifies Hans as 26.6 m long with 660 hp and states that the tug sank and its captain drowned. The article places the casualty in a discussion of tug operations near the bow of a ship underway, where interaction forces and the transfer of a towline can create severe handling hazards. That context is consistent with the incident's hydrodynamic-interaction classification, but the article is a later safety analysis rather than an official investigation report and does not establish the full causal sequence for Hans.
Lloyd's casualty returns independently record Hans as a 135 GT German tug built in 1965. The entry states that it capsized and sank at Hamburg in December 1978 and was subsequently raised, sold, and partly broken up. The available evidence does not state the exact maneuver, speed, weather, rescue sequence, physical damage, or whether anyone besides the captain was injured. No official investigation report or final causal finding was identified.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|
| 1978-12-10 | Hans was assisting Hans Krüger in Hamburg when the tug capsized and sank; its captain drowned. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|
| Tug operating close to a ship's bow | Suspected | A later tug-safety analysis links the Hans casualty to the recognized hazard of passing a towline near a ship's bow at speed and discusses hydrodynamic interaction forces. It does not report a formal finding specific to Hans. |
Investigation
No official investigation report for the 1978 casualty or final causal finding has been identified. The available evidence consists of a later tug-safety article and a Lloyd's casualty-return entry.
References
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