Tonnage: 2471 gt

Pre War History:

Delivered in Jan-1916 from Lindholmens Verkstad, Gothenburg, Sweden (423) as passenger vessel Jupiter to Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab, Bergen. Steel hull, 305.2’ x 41.7’ x 18.8’, 2652 gt, 1830 tdwt, Triple Expansion (Lindholmen) 309nhp, 15.5 knots. Used in BDS' Bergen-Stavanger-Newcastle route with Erling Lund as captain. Laid up in Bergen because of WW I. Requisitioned by The Shipping Controller, London in March-1918, managed by Union Castle Line. In use between Bergen and Aberdeen under British flag and with British crew. Returned to BDS in Jan.-1919, placed in service to England on Jan. 18, supplemented by the company's Irma, Venus and Iris. In Nov.-1920 the new passenger vessel Leda was delivered and the following year Jupiter, Leda, Venus and Irma were used in this route. Irma was pulled out in Oct.-1921.

A new passenger vessel named Venus was delivered to the company in May-1931, replacing the old one in the route, and from then on Jupiter, Leda and the new Venus were used together in this run. Jupiter saved the entire crew of the cargo vessel Weni from Stavanger in a hurricane in the North Sea in Jan.-1937. In the same hurricane Leda saved the crew from the cargo vessel Karmt, while Venus rescued the crew from Trym, and Lyra (Iceland route) saved the crew from the Swedish fishing vessel Nordland - all under dramatic circumstances. Jupiter and Leda were replaced in the route to England by the newly built passenger vessel Vega in May-1938. Jupiter subsequently entered service Trondheim-Bergen-Rotterdam together with the company's Ariadne.

WW II:

The outbreak of war in Sept.-1939 caused BDS to take the valuable vessels out of the routes abroad, and instead used the less valuable ships, Jupiter being among the ships laid up in Norway. In the fall of 1939 she made some voyages carrying Norwegian soldiers from Oslofjorden to the north of Norway, together with Leda and Lyra. Laid up in Kirkebukten, Bergen in 1939 together with Leda, and was still there when Norway was invaded on Apr. 9-1940. Jupiter and Leda were moved to Eidsvågsbukten north of Bergen on Apr. 16-1940 and used as accommodation vessels for Norwegian prisoners of war. The tanker Tiger, which had been seized by the Germans and was laid up near Jupiter and Leda and used as floating fuel depot, was attacked by allied aircraft and a bomb was dropped very close to the 2 passenger vessels, though they were not directly hit, nor was Tiger.

Jupiter was requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine on Aug. 19-1940 and used as coastal transport with Norwegian crew. According to Rohwer she was attacked by the British submarine Seanymph (Oakley) on March 1-1944 in Mosjøen (off Bodø), however, the 4 torpedoes missed. On Oct. 23-1944 she was placed under the German flag with German crew, and in service between Oslo and Denmark.

POST WAR:

Returned to owner on June 15-1945 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Temporarily repaired at Burmeister & Wain, Copenhagen, then further repaired and overhauled at Lindholmens Varv, Gothenburg in Oct. that year. Returned to service to England on March 9-1946 along with the company's newly built passenger/cargo liner Astrea. Venus was extensively repaired and delivered on May 3-1948 and was also placed in the run to England. On Apr. 7-1953 Bergenske D/S received the new passenger vessel Leda, which then replaced Jupiter and Astrea in this route, Jupiter becoming a "reserve". She was used in Hurtigruten's Bergen-Kirkenes run in the summer of 1953, and that fall she made some voyages for Forsvarsdepartementet (Department of Defence). In 1954 she was occasionally used in the route to England as well as the Trondheim-Bergen-Rotterdam route. Laid up in Bergen for the winter of 1954, then placed in Hurtigruten's Bergen-Kirkenes run again from Apr. 2-1955 (replacing the company's Nordstjernen which had been lost). Sold on Sept. 2-1955 to Epirotiki Steamship Navigation Co. Ltd. (George Potaminaos SA), Piraeus, Greece, renamed Hermes and used in the inner Mediterranean. While laid up in Piraeus there was a fire on board on March 4-1960. Sold in Dec. that year to unknown ship breakers in Italy for breaking up.

Back to Jupiter on the "Homefleet Ships starting with J" page.

(Majority of info received from T. Eriksen, Norway - His sources: Article about BDS in "Skipet" 1-2.88 by Dag Bakka Jr., "Norges eldste Linjerederi, BDS 1851-1951", Wilhelm Keilhau, "Båtene våre, -hvor ble de av", Dag Bakka jr. for Bergens Tidende 198x, "Lang Kyst", Trygve Nordanger 1975, "Full storm", Trygve Nordanger 1973).

(Norway had also had a whale catcher by this name at one time, built 1886, only 65 gt).