According to Jean-Yves Brouard, Guy Mercier, Marc Saibène, "La Marine Marchande Française 1939-1945", JYB, Sept. 2009:

RINGULV was leased to the DTM (Diréction des Transports Maritimes) on time charter in April 1940. At the Armistice of 25 June 1940 she finds refuge in Casablanca, where she is immobilised from 9 Aug. 1940 to 15 Jan. 1941, then at Safi from 16 Jan. to 14 June 1941. During the night 15/16 Feb. 1941 she breaks her moorings in a SW gale and rams several times the side of the French tanker ARAGAZ, 5,009 grt/1914. At Safi she is confiscated by Vichy France and taken over by Transat on 17.6.1941 as SAINTE MARTHE. Under her French identity she is allowed to cross the Gibraltar Straits in July 1941, and she is at Marseilles from 5 Aug. to 26 Nov. 1941 and again from 11 July to 19 Aug. 1942.[The Vichy government policy at the time was to transfer as many originally non-French merchant vessels as possible to the Mediterranean, so as to use them as pawns to satisfy the German demands for tonnage without using their own shipping - my own remark]. In accordance with the Nevers Agreement of 28 Aug. 1942 she is pro-forma returned to her owner Skibs A/S 'Ringulv' at Oslo, mgr Olav Ringdal, on 29 Nov. 1942 with her previous name of RINGULV and ipso facto chartered to (taken over by) Germany (exercising the "Rights of the Occupying Power"), who had given her the codename NORDA VII (meaning NORwegische frachtDAmpfer no. 7). Management by the Mittelmeer Reederei GmbH.

According to Schmelzkopf, she was interned in Oran on 17 June 1940 and laid up; and on 17.6.1941 confiscated by Vichy France as S.TE MARTHE for the Cie. Gén. Transatlantique of Le Havre. But he also mentions the fact that other sources refer to Casablanca and Safi.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 01/21/2012 08:00AM by de domenico.