Role of the Danish vessel ISLANDS FALK in the Faroe Islands, 1939-40?

[Sid Guttridge]

I am unclear what role the Danish Islands Falk performed in the Faroe Islands over 1939-40.

I have seen her described as a fishery protection vessel, but I see that she also carried the last mail from Denmark to the Faroes on 23 February 1940 and had to turn back from another mail delivery on 9 April. She also reportedly took four interned German airmen back to Denmark from the Faroe Islands sometime in December 1939.

What exactly was her role? Did she normally run a regular mail service, or was this a wartime measure to try to avoid the U-boat threat? Was she still a fishery protection vessel? Did she normally carry passengers? How many sailings did she make between Denmark and the Faroes over September 1939 to April 1940? Were these normal routine or wartime exceptions? Was she a warship, a government transport or a commercial vessel?

Any information on Islands Falk and her normal and wartime activitioes would be gratefully received.

Many thanks.

[davidships]

Definitely a naval vessel (Krigsskib), an armed fishery protection vessel (Inspektionsskip), per Danish Shipregisters.

https://da-m-wikipedia-org.translate.go ... _tr_pto=sc
Nice photo, probably taken in Amsterdam (Du Croo & Brauns locomotive factory in background): https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/media/is ... lk.472357/
It would seem that the ship was engaged on normal fishery inspection/protection activities.

There were dedicated passenger mail ships between Denmark and the Faroes, but I suppose that those unarmed sailings would indeed have been curtailed after the outbreak of war. If ISLANDS FALK was indeed pressed into replacement service, then I suppose that she inevitable also carried some passengers. There is likely to have been some history written on the mail service, though I didn't find it.

It may well be useful to contact the editor
http://www.navalhistory.dk/Danish/Skibe ... (1907).htm

[Sid Guttridge]

Hi davidships,

Thanks for your help.

I have also taken your advice and contacted the editor of the site you recommended. I await his reply

Cheers,

Sid.