Tonnage: 5349 gt, 8400 tdwt

Built by Burmeister & Wain, Copenhagen in 1943.

WW II:

Seized by the Germans in April-1940 while building, completed as Kriegsmarine target ship Wartheland, 5349 gt, 8400 tdwt, 425.3' x 56.6' x 25.7', 7 cyl. 2T (B & W), 13 knots, transport (KMD, Danzig) from March 20-1944.

In "Allied Submarine Attacks" Jürgen Rohwer has listed D/S Wartheland, ex Norwegian Skjelbred, 5096 gt, hit by a torpedo which did not explode (Russian submarine S-56, Shchedrin) on May 17-1943; there's obviously some confusion here with regard to Skjeldbred/Falkanger/Wartheland. An explanation can be found in a posting to my Ship Forum which says there were 2 Wartheland, one being the Falkanger listed here. Theodor Dorgeist, the author of this posting gives her 6783 gt and says she was completed at Nakskov Skibsvaerft on July 24-1943, used as target ship in Travemünde. Then he says: Febr. 18/22-1944 Oslo-Reval, transport in the Baltic from March 30-1944, struck a mine off Libau on Apr. 20 that year, and was hit by bomb on Sept. 26 the same year (Arensburg/Ösel), struck a mine again off Libau on Nov. 20, repaired in Danzig until Jan. 24-1945. Pilau-Danzig-Swinemünde Jan. 26/28-1945, then Danzig-Copenhagen Febr. 8/9. From Neufahrwasser in March, in Copenhagen in May - returned to Norway on June 14-1945. The other Wartheland mentioned in this posting was built in 1907, 3716 gt (G. Freymann, Danzig) and this is the one that was torpedoed by S-56 in Kongsfjord on May 17-1943 (the entry in "Allied Submarine Attacks" with regard to Skjelbred must be an error). Damaged by bomb off Petsamo on Jan. 30-1944, involved in a collision off Kirkenes on Apr. 29 that same year, and sunk in an air attack in Eidsfjord on Dec. 12-1944.

According to a message in my Guestbook, the latter Wartheland was the ex Latvian Arija, seized by Russian forces in 1940 and then by Germany in 1941. The poster adds that she was sunk by Russian aircraft on the date given above, but this (external) webpage, Sorties Flown by Banff Strike Wing says the attackers were Mosquitos from 143, 235 and 248 squadrons - scroll down on the page to Dec. 12-1944 for more details.

POST WAR:

At Copenhagen in May of 1945, returned to Norway on June 14-1945 and repaired, renamed Falkanger and entered service for Westfal-Larsen in 1946. Sold in Jan.-1965 to Marnacion Cia. Nav. S.A., Piræus and renamed Forerunner. Broken up in Shanghai in 1969.

Back to Falkanger on the "Homefleet Ships starting with F" page.

Other ships by this name: D/S Falkanger A/S (H. Westfal-Larsen), Bergen had another Falkanger from 1915 till 1916, originally delivered as Hinduro (Hirundo?) in Oct. (Jan.?)-1899 (Conrad Blumer Hofgaard, Tønsberg), built in Newcastle, 2154 gt. Sold in 1911 to A/S Borgestad (Gunnar Knudsen) Porsgrunn, renamed Brynhild. Purchased by A/S Falkanger in June-1915, renamed Falkanger. Sold to A/S Redereit Odfjell (Fredrik Odfjell), Bergen in 1916, renamed Lind and had many owners and names through the years; Ferro from 1916), Franz Haubus (Habuss?) (of Stettin, 1923-1926), Oceanic (of Gothenburg, 1926-1932), Britannic (of Helsinki from 1932). Struck a mine and sank off Ålborg on Dec. (Sept.?) 6-1942. Westfal-Larsen also had a Falkanger from 1923. This ship disappeared in the Bay of Biscay in Nov.-1928 with the loss of 16 men, voyage Barry Dock-Algiers with coal. In June-1965 another Falkanger was delivered from Kockums, Malmö to Westfal-Larsen. Sold in Febr.-1974 to Nilhat Shipping Co. Ltd., Calcutta, renamed Alexandra N. ("Damp - Dampskipets æra i Vestfold" and Westfal-Larsen fleet list).