Pre War:

Contracted at Burmeister & Wains Maskin- & Jernskibsbyggeri, Copenhagen on Apr. 19-1939 (663) as refrigerated vessel Viator for A/S Viator (C. H. Sørensen & Sønner) for delivery in July-1940.

WW II:

Launched in June-1940. Requisitioned by the Kriegsmarine while still building. Delivered on June 17-1941 as Viator to the Kriegsmarine (A/S Viator was possibly still the legal owner). Steel hull, 323.7’ x 47.3’ x 26.6’, 3076 gt, 2900 tdwt, 10cyl 2tev Burmeister & Wain dm 4200bhp 16 knots. Entered service for Wehrmachtbefehlshaber Norwegen under Norwegian flag. Formally seized by German authorities on Oct. 27-1941 and placed in service under the German flag. On Aug. 26-1942 work commenced on having her converted to V-Schiff (supply vessel for warships). Entered service as V-Schiff Christian Sinding for Trosschiff-Verband Nord on May 15-1943. From Sept. 1-1943 she was in use as target vessel for the 27th U-Flotille, Danzig. Collided with U-129 on Nov. 29-1943 and had to be beached near Neufahrwasser to prevent her from sinking. Refloated on Dec. 1-1943, repaired.

POST WAR:

Recovered at Copenhagen in May-1945. Returned to Norwegian owners on Aug. 25-1945 and given her original name of Viator, but had been extensively rebuilt by the Kriegsmarine and was in bad state of repair, so did not enter service. Sold in July 1946 to the French State (Ministere de la Marine Marchande, Paris), managed by Louis Martin S.a.r.l., renamed Guinée. Sold around 1950 to Armament A. Nicoladot, Nantes, France (Louis Martin S.a.r.l.). Sold in 1963 to Great Pacific Navigation Co. Ltd. (S. Y. Shang, Keelung, Taiwan), renamed Compfort. Sold in 1969 to unknown breakers in Taiwan for breaking up.

Back to Viator on the "Homefleet Ships starting with V" page.

Misc. Sources, incl. "The World's Merchant Fleets", Roger W. Jordan, "Hjemmeflåten - Mellom venn og fiende", Lauritz Pettersen, and E-mail from T. Eriksen, Norway - his source: Article about C. H. Sørensen by Toralf Nilsen in "Skipet" 1.90.

C. H. Sørensen & Sønner had previously had another ship by this name, Built in Sweden 1938, 3053 gt, sold to Germany in 1939 and renamed Angelburg. Another Viator (fruit carrier) was built in 1950. Sold in 1958 to Vaboens Rederi, Kristiansand. The company also managed a Viator in the 1990's, originally delivered as Hebe in Jan.-1976 for Helge R. Myhre, Stavanger. Sailed as Boral Gas from 1980 (Suva, Fiji), then Australian Island Gas from 1983, before being sold in 1996 and renamed Viator - sold for breaking up around 2003.