The Alan A. Dale was originally a Danish cargo ship named Norvest, 131 metres long, 17 metres wide and 4,700 tons. After the outbreak of World War II it remained in port in the United States. It was one of 84 foreign ships seized by the USA under the Ship Requisition Act, signed on June 6, 1941. It was subsequently reflagged under Panama and operated by the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand. On 24 December 1944 it was sunk by a German Biber one-man submarine in the Westerschelde near Antwerp. The wreck was recovered during June 2003 as part of an operation to improve shipping access to Antwerp.
