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Name of Ship
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Managed By
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Tonnage
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Fred Olsen & Co., Oslo
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1387 gt
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| Built Newcastle upon Tyne 1922 (1921?).
M/S Segovia has the details on her final fate as well as a casualty list.
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Anders Wilhelmsen, Oslo
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4414 gt
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| Built in Copenhagen 1925. Previous names: Segundo until 1928, Sud Uruguayo until 1930.
A separate page about M/S Segundo has information on her fate, w/crew list.
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A. F. Klaveness & Co. A/S, Oslo
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9916 gt
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| Built in Hamburg 1937.
1st mate (and radio operator) on this ship when the war started was Thorvald Andreassen, who later became her captain.
Seirstad is said to have been in Singapore in Dec.-1941, later sailing to Sydney and Brisbane. She was 1 of 4 Norwegian tankers in Convoy MS 3, departing Melbourne on Jan. 30-1942 for Palembang. Please go to M/T Erling Brøvig for background information and more details on the events that took place in the next few days. During the Japanese air attack on Febr. 13 a bomb detonated in the sea close to Seirstad, resulting in a large hole in her side and she was listing heavily. She had a cargo of aviation fuel at the time. Her crew launched the boats and remained nearby for a while, then when it seemed safe to do so, they reboarded and continued towards Batavia, having managed to straighten the ship. They were able to get out of Batavia just hours before the Japanese invaded. Seirstad initially went to Colombo (arr. March 4), but was redirected to Bombay, where she was docked for repairs, remaining there for almost 5 months. (Captain from March-1942 was Trygve Eide, who had previously been the captain of Stiklestad).
She left Bombay again on Sept. 30-1942 for Fremantle, later making voyages to Melbourne, Los Angeles, Brisbane, Townsville, Talara etc. In 1944 she made voyages to Cristobal, Brisbane, Los Angeles, Sydney and several other ports. More WW II voyage information will be added.
Related external links:
Convoy MS 3 - Port of origin is given as Fremantle here. The site has also included Seirstad in Convoy SM 4 from Batavia on Febr 23-1942 and in PG 90 from Caloundra to Sydney, N.S.W. in Dec.-1943.
1 who died on board - Seaman Samuel Gottfred Sørensen is listed here as having died at sea on Febr. 23-1943 due to illness.
The company had a steamship named Seirstad (spelt Seierstad in some sources), built Oslo 1900, 995 gt. Sold to Risør (Jacob Prebensen Jr.) in 1916. Listed as sunk by a German U-boat in Nov.-1916.
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A/S Thor Dahl, Sandefjord
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249 gt
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| Built in Oslo 1930.
Whale catcher owned by A/S Odd, Sandefjord. Hired by South African Navy in Oct.-1940 for use as minesweeper.
POST WAR: Returned in April-1946. Sold in 1953 to I/S Tromstrål, Tromsø and renamed Tromstrål II.
Thor Dahl later had another whaler by this name, built 1953, 626 gt, sold on Nov. 4-1965 to Alf Vestre, Hellandshavn.
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William Hansen, Bergen
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1626 gt
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| Built in Bergen 1920. Previous name: Nordstrand until 1922.
Sekstant is listed in the U.K.-Norway Convoy ON 9 at the end of Jan.-1940, returning to the U.K. the following month with Convoy HN 12. In March that year we find her in Convoy ON 22 to Norway.
Bombed by German aircraft at Kolvereid, north of Namsos on May 4-1940, all survived. Lauritz Pettersen in "Hjemmeflåten - mellom venn og fiende" (The Home Fleet - Between Friend and Enemy, 1992) says that the 3 ships Pan, Blaafjeld I and Sekstant were near Salsbruket in Oppløygsfjord (Rørvik) loading wood pulp for England in Apr.-1940. Pan was done at the end of Apr. but was ordered to wait for the others so that they could leave in the same convoy, probably in connection with the allied evacuation of Namsos. Because of this there were quite a few English warships in the area. Sekstant and Blaafjeld I were finished loading the cargo on May 1, and moved into the fjord while awaiting sailing orders; Pan was in Sildvik and Blaafjeld I and Sekstant in Urshalsvåg, closely watched by German aircraft. On May 4 they attacked and Blaafjeld I and Sekstant became a total loss, while the wreck of Pan remained for 2 years, before she was raised and repaired.
Sekstand ended up in Nortraship's register, though she never made it out of Norway.
Related external links:
Blaafjeld - From a Norwegian website for divers (text in English and Norwgian). This website says Blaafjeld was attacked by Heinkel 115 bombers, under Sekstant it lists Ju 87 dive bombers.
Bombers & Ground Attack - info on the various types of German bombers (from the website Luftwaffe Resource Center).
Historical Index of the Great Lakes has quite a bit of details on an earlier ship by this name, built 1916, 2481 gt, managed by O. T. Hauge, Bergen. Later named Nordstrand in 1926, then American Maurice Tracy that same year. Sunk in a collision with Jesse Billingsley on June 16-1944. To find this ship, type "Sekstant" in the search field for 'vessel', then on the page that comes up, click in the little box with the item number. The next page has technical details on the ship and a picture thumbnail - clicking on the thumbnail will bring up a larger photo. Or, typing 'Norway" in the search field for 'Registry' will bring up all the Norwegian vessels listed on the site.
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Einar Wahlstrøm, Oslo
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1778 gt
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| Built at Goole in 1921. Previous names: Hubro until 1933, Balder until 1938.
D/S Selbo has more details, incl. crew list at the time of loss.
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I. Austad, Tromsø
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166? 172? gt
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| Built in Rosendal 1918. Previous name: Malula.
Seal catcher.
Selis is listed among the ships in Convoy SC 77 leaving Halifax for the U.K. on March 30-1942 (several Norwegian ships took part). She then departed Greenock for Svalbard on Apr. 30, together with the icebreaker D/S Isbjørn (follow link for more details on this incident). On board was a force of 82 men, whose task it was to regain control of Svalbard (Operation Fritham). They got as far as Isfjord on May 13, but in Grønfjord the ice stopped them, and the next evening 4 German aircraft attacked, hitting Isbjørn with 2 bombs which immediately sank her. Selis was hit shortly thereafter and caught on fire. 12 were killed and 15 wounded. The rest scattered on the ice and were able to avoid the machine gun fire. The survivors rescued some weapons and equipment from Selis and managed to get to Barentsburg, where they were assisted by a British Naval Force on July 2.
Jan-Olof, Sweden has told me that "Lloyd's War Losses, Vol I British, Allied and Neutral Merchant Vessels Sunk or Destroyed by War Causes", 1989 reprint says "sunk May 13, 1942 off Barentsburg by German aircraft. Is said to have left Akureyri with a small Norwegian force to occupy strategic positions in Spitsbergen" (Svalbard).
There's a message in my Guestbook from the daughter of a Dr. who took part in the above incident. He was on board Selis, and his name was Per Hønningstad. She's interested in getting in touch with someone who knows this story. I have her address in my files.
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Einar Wahlstrøm, Oslo
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1557 gt
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| Built in Christiania 1920. Previous names: Hiram II, then Britte.
Please go to D/S Selvik for more information on her wartime experiences (includes technical data).
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Brødrene Olsen A/S, Stavanger
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6589 gt
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| Built in Gothenburg 1934.
Picture of Senator - From Bjørn Milde's postcard collection.
SOLD IN 1939 to France and renamed Touraine.
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Ole L. Løkke, Oslo (from 1939)
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3785 gt
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Built in Alameda, California 1917. Previous names: Regulus until 1938, Sirehav until 1939.
Please continue to D/S Senta (w/crew list at time of loss).
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Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab, Bergen
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1757 gt
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| Built in Goole 1922. Previous name: Terne (D/S A/S Fjøsanger - Bjørnstad & Brækhus, Bergen).
SOLD in 1939 to Sweden, renamed Bohus (Rederi-AB Bifrost - Jarl R. Trapp, Gothenburg). Became German Gerrit Fritzen in 1940 (Johs Fritzen & Sohn, Emden) - sunk by Russian aircraft on March 12-1945.
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Fred. Olsen & Co., Oslo
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1383 gt
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| Built in Newcastle upon Tyne 1921.
See M/S Sevilla.
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Leif Høegh & Co. A/S, Oslo
Panamanian flag
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9716 gt
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| Built in Glasgow 1930. Previous name: Laurel until 1934.
Maritime Trading Ltd. (styled Compania Maritima Escandinavia Inc. until 1939).
Renamed Dauphine in 1940 (French flag). Damaged at Port de Bouc on Sept. 25-1944, recovered.
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T. B. Torgersen, Oslo
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5492 gt
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| Built in Vancouver, Canada 1920. Previous names: Canadian Prospector until 1934, Prospector until 1935, Mitwo until 1938.
Picture of this ship when Canadian Prospector - Received from David Martin.
Had a Chinese crew, Norwegian officers. There's some conflicting information about this vessel. "The World's Merchant Fleets", R. W. Jordan states she was seized in Japan by the Japanese on Dec. 7-1941, renamed Kazan Maru in 1942 under the Japanese flag. "Nortraships flåte" says she was seized in Japan in Nov.-1940, along with the Norwegian D/S Ven Koh (a year earlier than stated above), and destroyed in 1941. Another Norwegian source, "Norges, Sveriges og Danmarks handelsflåter, tilgang og avgang i 1940-1945" says she was seized by the Japanese government in Wakamatsu on May 10-1941 (why would she be seized before the Japanese had even entered the war?). This is, in fact, confirmed in an extract from the deck log book presented at a subsequent inquiry in Kobe on May 14-1941, saying that after Sheng Hwa had discharged cargo at Yawata on Nov. 11-1940 she left for Wakamatsu to await orders. On May 6-1941 orders were received from Messrs. Myachi & Co., Ltd., Kobe to get ready to take on board 400 tons of bunker coal on the 10th. On that date representatives of Messrs. Miyachi & Co. came on board, accompanied by the Wakamatsu harbour police. A Japanese captain and crew also came on board. The Norwegian flag was lowered and replaced with a Japanese one, and her crew was ordered by the police to leave the ship by the following afternoon. Captain at the time was K. Einarsen, 1st mate was O. Snekkestad, and 1st engineer was Karsten B. Hansen, all of whom appeared at the inquiry on May 14. None of the 3 officers knew why she had been taken over by Japanese authorities; they had heard nothing from the owners (Skibs-A/S Thule) to indicate the change of flag. The captain stated that they had received orders from Nortraship to go to Hong Kong on Nov. 28-1940, but the customs at Wakamatsu had refused outward clearance. (Info from "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig").
POST WAR: Recovered. Scuttled on Jan. 25-1946 at Malacca Strait (R. W. Jordan).
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Si - Sj
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Nils Bull, Tønsberg
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1150 gt
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| Built in Trondheim 1930.
Siak is listed in the U.K.-Norway Convoy ON 16 at the end of Febr.-1940. The following month we find her in Convoy HN 19 from Norway to the U.K., bound for Methil in ballast.
Captain Olav Brune-Hansen.
In July-1940 she's listed in Convoy OA 190, which left Methil on July 26. Her destination is given as Sydney, C.B., station 84. She returned to the U.K. at the end of Aug. with the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 2, in which the Norwegian Gro was sunk. Siak had a cargo of lumber. Towards the end of Oct.-1940, we find her in station 54 of Convoy OB 232, bound for E. Canada in ballast. Siak went back to the U.K. at the end of the following month with Convoy SC 13, cargo of lumber for Wisbech. Follow the links for more info on these SC convoys (more info on the OA and OB convoy mentioned here is available at the first external link below).
In July-1941 she's included among the ships in Convoy OB 347 (several of which were Norwegian), which left Liverpool on July 16 and dispersed on the 31st. Siak was bound for Sydney, C.B., and returned to the U.K. with Convoy SC 41, which left Sydney, C.B. on Aug. 24 and arrived Liverpool on Sept. 11, and in which the Norwegian Einvik was sunk. She was again in the company of several other Norwegian ships, as will be seen by following the link provided below.
She took part in Operation Neptune (Normandy invasion), arriving Utah on June 26-1944. The external site below has information on some of the convoys she was in during this time period.
More voyage information will be added.
Related external links:
OB (& OA) convoys - OA 190 and OB 232 are included. Note also that by going to this section of the same site and clicking on "Ship Search", using "Siak" as keyword, several more convoys will come up. Here is OB 347 and SC 41, both mentioned above.
Utah Beach
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August Kjærland & Co.
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1342 gt
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| Built in Aberdeen, Scotland 1924.
Jan-Olof, Sweden has told me that the following can be found in "Lloyd's War Losses, Vol I British, Allied and Neutral Merchant Vessels Sunk or Destroyed by War Causes", 1989 reprint: "On a voyage from Kragerø for Grimsby. Cargo woodpulp. Struck a mine on Nov. 4-1939 and sank in position 53 43N 0 17E. Three dead."
Related external link:
Those who died - Engineer Sigurd Johan M. Jensen, Stoker Nils Martinsen, and Stoker Stål Tingstad are commemorated.
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Bachke & Co., Trondheim
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1024 gt
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| Built in Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, Holland 1920. Previous name: Nystrand until 1922.
See D/S Sigrid (incl. a picture).
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Wilh. Jebsen, Bergen
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7313 gt
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| Built in Danzig, Germany 1927.
For further info on this ship and its final fate, please go to M/T Sildra (includes a picture - crew list).
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K. Sandaas, Kragerø
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1259 gt
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| Built in Aalborg 1919.
See D/S Silja.
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A. F. Klaveness & Co. A/S, Oslo
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4301 gt
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| Built in Copenhagen 1927.
Please see my page M/S Siljestad for more information, incl. crew list at time of loss.
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Tschudi & Eitzen, Oslo
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4793 gt
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| Built in Malmö, Sweden 1938.
Captain Niels Stange Nielsen. Became Atlantis' 6th Norwegian victim when she was captured on Sept. 10-1941, on a voyage from Singapore to New York via Batavia. On my page Norwegian Victims of Atlantis there's a lot more details on this incident and her final fate, as well as a crew list and information on all the other Norwegian ships captured by this raider. The page also includes some newspaper articles that appeared in a British paper after the sinking of Silvaplana (and of Atlantis).
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Wilh. Wilhelmsen, Tønsberg
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6031 gt
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| Built in Sunderland 1917. Previous names: Simla, Glastonbury until 1920.
More information on this ship is available on a separate page, D/S Simla, which includes details on her loss and a crew list at the time.
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Westfal-Larsen & Co. A/S, Bergen
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5393 gt
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| Built at Fiume, Italy 1939.
See M/S Siranger. Includes a picture and details on her final fate, as well as an account on the 3rd mate's stay on U-155 as prisoner. The page also has a complete crew & passenger list.
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A. I. Langfeldt & Co., Kristiansand (until 1939).
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3785 gt
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Same as Senta further up on this page.
Norway had previously had another Sirehav, laid down in 1918 as War Post, cmpleted at Mariners Harbor. Became Emil Stray's Sagn in 1929, Sirehav in 1933, Russian Terek that same year - lost 1945.
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A. I. Langfeldt & Co., Kristiansand
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3888 gt
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| Built in Sunderland 1907. Previous name: Bratsberg until 1935.
Please continue to D/S Sirehei for more information on this ship. Sirehei was sunk as breakwater for the Normandie operations in 1944 and the page contains a list of those who were on board at the time.
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A. I. Langfeldt & Co., Kristiansand (from 1939)
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2468 gt
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| Built in Port Glasgow 1906. Previous names: Craigisla until 1910, Ottawa until 1935, Senta until 1939 (when she was sold by Ole L. Løkke to A. I. Langfeldt, and renamed Siremalm).
A separate page about D/S Siremalm has more information, including details on her loss and a crew list at the time.
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A. I. Langfeldt & Co., Kristiansand
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4341 gt
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| Built in Sunderland 1913. Previous name: Hesperos until 1931.
In Swedish waters when Norway was invaded. Requisitioned by the Swedish Government on October 25-1940, and traded for the Swedish State traffic commission. Released in 1944, but laid up in Sweden until May-1945. Ships in Sweden has a list of, and information on the Norwegian ships there at the outbreak of war in Norway.
POST WAR: Sold in 1952 to Ernst Rickertsen, Hamburg, and renamed Holnis. Laid up at Hamburg Jan. 3-1958. Sold to Walter Ritscher during Febr. 1960 for breaking up at Hamburg.
Norway (A/S Odderø, Kristiansand) had another ship by this name in the 1950's, built in Sunderland, delivered as Rodney (Thomason Shipping Co Ltd, England) in 1939, sold to Sweden in 1951 and renamed Reserv. Became Norwegian Sirenes in 1953, Panamanian Marcos in 1963, sold to Manila in 1965 and renamed Sampaguita, later Philippine Sampaguita. Broken up in 1972. Here's a picture of her when Sirenes, linked to the website Rederi AB Nordstjernan, Johnson Line which also has the full history of the ship, incl. technical details (under the link.
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Johan Rasmussen & Co. Sandefjord
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14 362 gt
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| Built in Middlesbrough 1930.
Whale oil factory, built by Furness Shipbuilding Co.
In the middle of July-1942 she's listed in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 92, carrying 40 passengers. She returned to New York with the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 119*, which departed Liverpool on Aug. 5-1942 and arrived New York on the 20th. Early the following month she shows up in Convoy SC 99 from Halifax to the U.K., subsequently returning to New York in the westbound Convoy ON 134*, departing Liverpool on Sept. 26, arriving New York Oct. 17. On Nov. 24-1942, she was in New York loading cargo, incl. aircraft and landing crafts, then departed for Halifax on Nov. 25 for convoy. She left Halifax on Dec. 6 according to a report. According to the external website that I've linked to below she had joined Convoy SC 111, but returned to port, then joined SC 112, which originated in New York on Dec. 4 and arrived Liverpool on the 25th, Sir James Clark Ross having joined this convoy from Halifax. She arrived port safely after having endured horrendous weather on the crossing, but her destination is not given.
In Jan.-1943 she shows up in the westbound Liverpool-New York Convoy ON 159* (departure Jan. 4, arrival Jan. 20). Her destination was New York, and she had station 62 of the convoy, in which several Norwegian ships took part. In March that year she travelled to Curacao and Trinidad.
* The ON convoys mentioned here will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, with more information on each; in the meantime, see the section naming ships in all ON convoys.
Going back to the external site below, she's said to have made a voyage from New York to Halifax only in Convoy HX 304 in Aug.-1944 - as can be seen when following the link to my own page about this convoy, she's not mentioned there.
In the spring of 1945 she's listed in station 62 of Convoy SC 177, which left Halifax on May 26-1945 and arrived Liverpool on June 8.
More voyage information will be added.
POST WAR: In an old book, "Norsk presse under Hakekorset" (The Norwegian Press under the Swastika), Vol. II, 1946 by Gunnleik Jensson (a collection of newspaper articles from the war years), I found a little note in the Oslo newspaper "Aftenposten", dated May 15-1945 that says that Sir James Clark Ross is on her way to Norway with 17 000 tons whaleoil. The whaleoil is to be distributed to the De-No-Fa and Sandar factories, and will supply 20 mill. kg. of margarine. According to the last website below she was broken up in Taiwan in 1966.
Related External links:
Misc. convoys - By clicking on "Ship Search", typing her name as keyword, several convoys that are not mentioned in my text will come up. Here are SC 111, HX 304 and SC 177, all mentioned above.
Pictures of the ship - The site also has info on some other ships owned by Johan Rasmussen & Co. Here is the main page.
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A. F. Klaveness & Co. A/S, Oslo
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7747 gt
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| Built Nakskov, Denmark 1928.
SOLD IN 1939 to Germany and renamed Charlotte Schliemann. Used as U-boat supply vessel. Scuttled on Febr. 2-1944 to avoid capture by HMS Relentless, 23 23S 74 37E. Survivors were taken on board U-532.
Picture of Sir Karl Knudsen - Source: Karl Henrik Henriksen, who says the picture was taken in 1929 when his father was on board (1928-1932), see his grandfather's story under M/S Vinni's Story
Related external link:
Survivors' story - Charlotte Schliemann. Radio Officer Alfred Moer's account. This is the 3rd chapter of A WW2 survival story of the U-Boat U188 and two of her victims.
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- M/T Sir Osborn Holmden *
later raised
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A. F. Klaveness & Co. A/S, Oslo 1939
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9153 gt
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| Built in Copenhagen 1928.
SOLD IN 1939 to Trans-Ocean Shipping & Chartering Co. Ltd., Panama, and renamed H. G. Wagon (Panamanian flag), sold again to France in 1939 and renamed Vendée. Taken over by the Kriegsmarine in 1940 and used as supply ship Hermann von Salza. Bombed and damaged by allied aircraft on March 22-1943 at St. Nazaire, but repaired. Scuttled at St. Nazaire by the Germans on Sept. 30-1944.
Here's a picture of Sir Osborn Holmden - Source: Historical Department, MAN B&W Diesel, Copenhagen.
POST WAR: Raised on Jan. 4-1947 and repaired. Returned to France in May under the name Vendée.
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K. Andersen & Co. A/S, Fredrikstad
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1143 gt
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| Built in Moss 1920 (1921?). Previous name: Imacos until 1931.
Please see D/S Sitona (w/crew list).
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Clemeth Dann, Oslo
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619 gt
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| Built in Gouderak 1918. Previous names: Phoenix, then Kongsaa, according to a visitor to my website (his source: "Shipwreck Index of the British Isles")
D/S Sjofna has more on this ship, including details on her loss and a list of those who were on board at the time.
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T. S. Bendixen, Lillesand
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1221 gt
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| Built in Trondheim 1926. Previous name: Hjort until 1936.
Captain Hans Danielsen. Lillesand's only ship at the outbreak of the war, sailed without mishaps through the war (mostly Australia and the eastern countries).
According to the external website that I've linked to below, she was in Convoy CO 37, which left Newcastle, N.S.W. on Oct. 18-1942 and arrived Melbourne on the 22nd. The following spring she's listed in Convoy PG 42, departing Caloundra on Apr. 5-1943, arriving Sydney, N.S.W. on Apr. 8 (nationality is given as British, but this is incorrect).
My Guestbook has a message from someone who served on this ship, William H. Jones (I have his E-mail address in my files). Also, here is a Forum posting from the son of Ken Fabian, who served on Sjøbris (as well as Toulouse, Norfold and Heimvard), and would like to get in touch with someone who knew him.
Related external link:
Convoy CO 37 - The site also has PG 42.
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