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at the Beginning of War in Norway
Please note that more info on all these ships can be found in the alphabetical ship lists, or go to the Master Ship Index.

Sent to me by a visitor to my website, Christoffer Hannevig, the grandson of Hans Hannevig (owner of M/T Irania). He and his brother Thor Daniel have done extensive research on these ships, and have compiled this information. More information on the majority of these vessels can be found under their respective letters of the alphabet on my Merchant Fleet pages.

Information from a PM by Berger of Nortraship's home fleet department dated 7th May 1947. Additional information (by C. Hannevig) included in Italics. My own comments and additions will be in green italics.

Ships noted *
1 of the 3 vessels that came to Sweden from Germany post occupation.
Ships noted **
Captains omitted to give loyalty declarations (see my page Nortraship for explanation of "loyalty declaration", and for details on what the provisional decrees of April and May contained).
Ships noted ***
Intended for Time Charter to Skipsfartsdirektoratet following meeting at Norges Rederforbund (Norwegian Shipowners' Association) 6th August 1940. NR was to appoint agent Jens Wilhelmsen to travel to Sweden to assist the owners. (Official appointment was not given by NR).

1.
 M/S Elisabeth Bakke - Knut Knutsen O. A. S, Haugesund.
2.
 M/S John Bakke * - Knut Knutsen O. A. S, Haugesund. Arrived Gothenberg from Hamburg June 13-1940.
3.
 M/S Taurus - Wilh. Wilhelmsen, Tønsberg.
4.
 M/S Tai Shan - Wilh. Wilhelmsen, Tønsberg.
5.
 M/T Ranja - Hagb. Waage, Oslo.

The above ships were timechartered to British Ministry of Shipping in the autumn of 1940 and left for England in January 1941 (see my page about Elisabeth Bakke for more details).
6.
 M/T Buccaneer - A. O. Andersen Shipping Co. A/S, Oslo.
7.
 M/T Rigmor - Johan Stenersen, Oslo.
8.
 M/T Storsten - Rafen & Loennechen, Tønsberg.
9.
 M/T B.P Newton - Tschudi & Eitzen, Oslo.
10. M/T Lind ** - J. O. Odfjell, Bergen. Captain omitted to give loyalty declaration. Lay in Stockholm. Request for release issued by Administrationrådet Sept. 24-1940. Administrasjonsrådet = The Administration Council.
11. fl.k Skytteren - Yngvar Hvistendahl. (fl. k. means flytende kokeri = floating factory).
12. S/S Charente*** - Fearnley & Eger, Oslo. Timecharter issued by Skipsfartsdirektoratet Oslo Aug. 14-1940. New captain took over vessel and proceeded to dry dock in Gothenburg. The old crew were reinstalled by Swedish Authorities. Skipsfartsdirektoratet = The Shipping Directorate.
13. S/S Gudvang*** - H. Gjerpen, Skipsfartsdirektoratet Oslo. T/C issued Aug. 16-1940.
14. M/S Dicto - E. B. Aaby, Oslo.
15. M/S Lionel - Alf Mohn, Oslo.

The above vessels were chartered on a bare boat basis to BMWT (British Ministry of War Transport) on July 1-1941 and departed Sweden on March 31-1942. Six were sunk, two made it to England, and two returned to Gothenburg. (Kvarstad tragedy, see Kvarstad Ships & Men).
16. D/S Solgry*** - Holger Fischer, Oslo. Ordered home to Norway by owner in Aug.-1940, having timecharter from Skipsfartsdirektoratet in Oslo. Captain refused to sail.
17. M/S Fjeldberg - Thv. Joh. Kyvik jr., Haugesund.
18. D/S Rapid II*** - Alfred I. Thommesen, Arendal. 100 ton. 714 gt

The above ships remained in Sweden under Nortraship control.
19. D/S Sirenes*** - A. I. Langfeldt & Co., Kristiansand.
20. D/S Flint II*** - Willy Kubon, Bergen, T/C issued Aug. 18-1940.
21. D/S Ingeren*** - Jacob Kjøde A/S, Bergen, T/C issued Aug. 14-1940.
22. D/S Fantoft*** - Rasmus F. Olsen, Bergen.
23. D/S Hilda*** - Bachke & Co., Trondheim, T/C issued Aug. 20-1940.
24. D/S Lilly I - Lars Kirkebø, Bergen.
25. D/S Ulsnes*** - A/S Det Stavangerske Dampskibsselskab, Stavanger.
26. D/S Kong Magnus* & ***A/S Det Nordenfjeldske Dampskipsselskap, Trondheim.
27. D/S Fagerborg - Hans Storaas, Bergen.

The above group was requisitioned by the Swedish Government on October 25-1940, and traded for the Swedish State Traffic Commission. These vessels had been released by the Norwegian Legation to German Embassy, following a request from Administrationsrådet in Oslo. The releases were also approved by the Norwegian Ministers in Stockholm including Mowinckel, Sunde, Frihagen. The releases were reluctantly withdrawn by the Legation following protest by the British.
28. M/T Realf II** - Rønneberg & Galtung, Moss. Captain did not give a loyalty declaration.
(Laid up in Gothenburg, returned in 1945).
29. M/T Myken*** 788 gt - lay in Finland. Simonsen & Astrup, Oslo. Returned to Norway. This conflicts with what I have under M/T Myken
30. M/T Biwi** - Gill Johannessen, Skipper Albin Lyngmo, 790 gt, 1075 dw.
31. M/T Borgny** - Fred. Olsen & Co., Oslo. Skipper Reidar Solbakke, 3015 gt. 4100 dw.
32. M/T Inger Johanne**&*** - Jacob Kjøde A/S, Bergen. Skipper Carl August Mehl, 1202 gt. 1540 dw.
33. M/T Irania - owner Hans Hannevig, Horten. Skipper Ragnar Thommesen, 2184 gt. 3150 dw.
1st Mate Aage Jensen, Narvik. Engineer, Alfred Strande Fredrikstad. Customs clearance arranged by ship broker Larsson.
34. M/T Vera B** - owner Vitali Burkoff, Skipper I. Burkoff, 440 gt.
35. M/T Tripp - owner Osw. Aamodt, Skipper Johan Pettersen, 364 gt. 500 dw. Loyalty declaration given.

The above ships lay in Stockholm. The official reports state that there was confusion regarding Tripp and Irania.

However, I have since received a Guestbook message from Christoffer Hannevig stating that the departure of Irania was approved by the Norwegian Government. He has also sent me the following crew list, dated May 28-1940 (Norwegian unless otherwise noted) - all these appear to have paid off in the course of May/June-1940:
Captain Ragnar Thommesen - age 34
1st Mate Frithjof Olsen (different from above) - age 35
2nd Mate Aage Jensen (25)
Boatswain Sverre Pedersen (25)
Able Seamen Sverre Somby (24), Wilhelm Høegh (42) and Garman Enoksen (38)
Ordinary Seamen Sverre Spjøtvold (23) and Alfred Johansen (29)
Junior Ordianry Seaman Frank Halden (17)
Deckboy Ole Johansen (36)
Steward Carl Wrick (Swedish - 38)
Cook Marcus Roberg (25)
Messboy Olaf Johansen (21)
1st Engineer Harald Andersen (42)
2nd Engineer Alfred Strande (40)
3rd Engineer Karl Johansen (30)
Assistant Herbert Karlsen (40)
Pumpman Ismail Tek (Turkish - 28)
Motorman Gheorghe Stan (Rumanian - 39).
Motorman Harry Didriksen (39)
Oilers Asbjørn Brøseth (37) and Thorleif Gulli (36)
Engineboy Alfred Lindberg (18)
Saloon Girls Margot Ruud (38) and Signe Olsen (35)
Langlots Aksel Edman (Swedish - 54)
36. M/T Kløveren** - Roy Andersen & E. Engelstad, Oslo. Skipper Thommasen, directly on skipsfartsdirektoratet in Oslo for discharge of C. A. Larsen.
37. D/S Kong Bjørn*** - owner Wilhelmsen, Det Søndenfjeldske Norske Dampskibsselskap, Oslo, Skipper G. Thoresen, 931 gt, 1070 dw. T/C to Skipsfartsdirektoratet in Oslo dated Aug. 16-1940. Had given the loyalty declaration. Liner trade between Germany and Norway.
38. D/S Kong Alf*** - owner Wilhelmsen, Det Søndenfjeldske Norske Dampskibsselskap, Oslo, Skipper O. Borgersen, 687 gt, 1250 dw. T/C to Skipsfartsdirektoratet in Oslo dated Aug. 16-1940. Had given the loyalty declaration. Liner trade between Germany and Norway.

Post War - the owners of the above nine ships were put on notice of prosecution according to para 7 of the provisional order of May 18-1940. Hans Hannevig was the only person to be prosecuted. The report sent to London by Smith in the Norwegian Legation in Stockholm referred the vessels sailing according to orders from the owners. The Swedish foreign office files records an interveiw with Smith on the same day as the above report being sent to London, that the legation had allowed the vessels to sail on account of the need for fuel oil for the fishing fleet (see C. Hannevigs mail at the end of this page).

NOTE: Paragraph 7 in the Provisional Order of May 18-1940 says that failure to abide by the rules of the order is punishable by imprisonment for up to a year, or fines up to onehundredthousand Norw. Kr., or both, if the case does not already merit heavier punishment. The same goes for those who contribute to such failure. Also, the ship, or the value of the ship could be subject to confiscation for the benefit of the State.
39. Kora* - Bergenske Dampskibsselskab, Legation gave permission to sail to Norway. 817 gt. Released July 15-1940.
40. Eastern Foam - Very small vessel, permission to sail to Norway. Left in May-1940. This vessel was only 48 gt and would not have been covered by the provisional decree of Apr. 22, which only included ships over 500 gt. (See my page "Nortraship"). However, the provisional decree of May 18 also covered smaller ships.
41. Resolut - Hjalmar A. H. Wiik, Bergen. 194 gt, permission from Nortraship to sail to Norway. Relased July 6-1940.
42. Leonard III - Fredrik Olsen. Returned to Norway in May. 110 gt, would not have been covered by the provisional decree of Apr. 22-1940.

The above 13 vessels returned to Norway under differing circumstances, but to quote the Skipsfartsdirektør Lars Usterud Svendsen “As the situatuon was at the time, I consider it to be in conformity with responsible authorities' attitude and in Norwegian interests that such ships were brought home from Sweden”.

Christoffer Hannevig adds in an e-mail to me:
"The reason that the tankers were put into service with the co-operation of the Norwegian authorities in Stockholm is that the issue of these tank ships had been raised prior to the Invasion of Norway. Correspondence shows that the five largest oil companies were mandated by the Government to maintain strategic reserves, and in response they wrote to the supply department requesting assistance in chartering tonnage, this being on account of fact there was a shortage because of the Tonnage agreement with the UK.

Director Lind of Østlandske and officials from the supply department in Oslo travelled to Berlin in early August 1940 and purchased oil from Romania which was then transferred by rail to Stettin. The Shipsfartsdirectorate in Oslo took Irania, Borgny and Inger Johanne on timecharter and they then arranged voyage charters with Østlandske to bring the oil back to Norway. The reason given for the release of the tankers, by Smith of the Norwegian Legation when in discussion with Swedish Foreign Office, was that they had allowed the tankers to depart on account of the need for oil for the fishing Fleet. It should be noted that at time the tankers were returned a number of other vessels were issued with time charters by the Shipsfartsdirectorate in Oslo, that none of these vessels departed shows the control that the Legation had over the vessels. The case of the nine coal burners bear this hypothesis out also.

The ships that returned to Norway in August 1940 came home to Norway, with the agreement of the legation and were vetted on an individual basis the Norwegian Ministers in Stockholm. Each vessel had a charter arranged by the Shipsfartsdirectorate. These vessels were returned according to what was legal at that time. The fact that the Germans took control of the vessels in January 1941 is irrelevant to the process under which the tankers were permitted to return to Norway.

Regarding the nine coal burners the Norwegian Legation had requested the Swedish Foreign office to inform the Germans that the Ships were free to leave Sweden. The British exerted extreme pressure to prevent the departure of these vessels".

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