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D/S Akershus To Akershus on the "Ships starting with A" page. Manager: Fred Olsen & Co., Oslo Built in Oslo in 1914, purchased in 1923. Captain: Arnt Peder Arntsen. These original images from the Norwegian National Archives show her voyages: Please compare the above voyages with Arnold Hague's Voyage Record below.
(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database). Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each. Errors may exist, and several voyages are missing.
According to Page 1 of the archive documents, Akershus was in Antwerp when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940. Towards the end of May that year, she was briefly in Convoy OA 156, which left Southend on May 27. She was bound for St. Malo at the time, arriving there on May 28. The Norwegian Bjørkhaug, Inger Lise, Ruth I and Varangberg are also listed; see the external link provided within the Voyage Record. It'll also be noticed, when going back to the archive document, that she had a long stay in Barry that summer, with another long stay in Cardiff. In Oct.-1940 she made a voyage from Clyde to Methil with Convoy WN 22, departing Clyde on Oct. 11, arriving Methil on the 14th. She left Methil again on the 17th in Convoy FS 312, which arrived Southend on Oct. 19. On Nov. 11, A. Hague has included her in Convoy FN 332 from Southend, arriving Methil on Nov. 14. The Norwegian Edle, Kolsdal and Raftsund are also listed in this convoy, while Akershus is the only Norwegian ship named in the other 2 convoys - again, see links in the table above (note, however, that the listing for FS 312 and FN 332 is incomplete). The rest of her 1940 movements are shown on Page 1, which also has a few 1941 movements. These continue on Page 2; as can be seen, she appears to have had a long stay in London that year. When the U-boats started to move further and further west in the Atlantic, posing a serious threat to ships that had belonged to dispersed convoys and were left to sail on alone, the Allies established escort bases in Iceland and St. John's, New Foundland early on in 1941. From Apr.-1941, the Iceland escorts were responsible for convoys between 18W and 35W. From May that year, the Canadian Navy was responsible for escorting ships from 35W to the convoy terminals in Sydney, C.B. and Halifax. Better air protection was also provided after British aircraft were stationed in Iceland in April. Also, the Norwegian 330th Squadron was stationed there. At the end of July-1941 (again, see also Page 2), Akershus was fitted out as a salvage vessel by the Admiralty and stationed in Iceland. Early the following month, she made a voyage from Methil Roads to Loch Ewe with Convoy EC 54, having departed Methil Roads on Aug. 4, arriving Loch Ewe on the 6th. (This convoy, which is also available via link in the table above, had originated at Southend on Aug. 2 and arrived Clyde on the 8th. The Norwegian Cetus, Colombia, Libra, Rym, Sneland I and Torfinn Jarl also took part). She subsequently joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 5, in order to sail to Iceland. She arrived Reykjavik Aug. 13, having left Loch Ewe on Aug. 8. Convoy ON 5 was dispersed in 53 29N 37 35W on Aug. 14, and included several Norwegian ships; follow the link for more details. As will be seen when going back to Page 2, there's now a big gap in her voyage information; it looks like she remained in Iceland until 1944. In the spring of 1944 she was transferred to Cowes, Isle of Wight to be used during the invasion of Normandie (Operation Overlord - D-day), where about 50 Norwegian ships took part. On July 10-1944 she's listed, with destination Southampton, in the original Advance Sailing Telegram for Convoy RU 126A from Iceland to the U.K. There's no mention of this in the document for this convoy, but according to Page 2, she put back to Reykjavik on July 11, leaving again for Southampton that same day, eventually arriving there, via various other ports, on Aug. 2. For the last part of this voyage, A. Hague has included her in Convoy EBC 58 (together with the Norwegian Acasta, Hildur I and Thore Hafte - link above). Further voyages can be found on Page 2 as well as Page 3. As will be seen, she made a voyage to Kristiansand, Norway in July-1945, and again in Aug.-1945, with a voyage to Oslo in March-1946. More information on the other Norwegian ships named here can be found with the help of the alphabet index at the end of this page, or go to the Master Ship Index.
Sold in 1950. This external page says she was owned from Oct.-1950 by P/R H. Angell Olsen & Co. (H. Angell Olsen), Oslo, still as Akershus. From March-1951, sailed as Ritalex for Cia. Nav. Ritalex Ltd. (Michaelides & Cie S.a.rl.), Puerto Lomon. Renamed Mahasagar for South East Asia Shipping Co. Ltd., Bombay in 1951. Ran agound on July 6-1954 at Mirya, Ratnagiri in pos. 17 02N 73 16 5E when on a voyage Bombay-Cochin with general cargo. Refloated on Sept. 13-1954 and towed to Bombay, condemned and sold for breaking up. Back to Akershus on the "Ships starting with A" page. (Det Stavangerske Dampskibsselskab had a container ship named Akershus built 1977, 495 gt, Became 635 gt in 1983). The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, and misc.).
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