M/T Arena
Updated Dec. 5-2012

To Arena on the "Ships starting with A" page.

Received from Helmer Henriksen, whose father served on Arena (as well as Kirsten B, Norfjell, Kaia Knudsen, Norholm and Tarn, as 2nd mate/radio operator). He says the picture was probably taken at the end of 1938, approaching Havana, and was used as a Christmas card to send home to family. His father's brother, Alf. G. Henriksen took part in the well known escape of Lidvard.

Picture of this ship when Svolder
Source: Bjørn Milde's postcard collection.

Another picture is available on this external page (click in the little thumbnail to enlarge).

Built in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1927. Previous name Svolder.
According to the external page that I've linked to above, she was delivered in Nov.-1927 as Svolder to Waages Tankrederi A/S (R. Waage & J. Stenersen), Oslo. Managed from Nov.-1936 by J. Stenersen, Oslo (same owners), no name change. From Oct.-1937, A/S Alida (Rudolf Kure Olsen), Kristiansand S., same name. Renamed Arena in July-1939.

Captain: Johan Martin Flak (died in an accident in Brooklyn, March-1943), later Vilh. K. Pallesen.

Related item on this website:
Guestbook message - From someone who served ont this ship in 1948, Thomas Smith.

Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
(unfortunately, some of the scans have information missing in the margin)
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5

Please compare the above voyages with Arnold Hague's Voyage Record below.

Voyage Record From Nov-1940 to Dec.-1945:

(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database).

Follow the convoy links provided for more information on them.

	Departure	From	To	Arrival	Convoy	Remarks
1940	Nov. 3	Aden	Suez	Nov. 11	BN 8	A. Hague says: Previously traded Indian Ocean. Earlier voyages, Page 1 Convoy available at BN 8 (external link)
	Dec. 1	Suez	Jeddah	Dec. 4	Independent	–
	Dec. 7	Jeddah	–	–	BS 10	For Bahrein Dispersed Dec. 11 Convoy available at BS 10 (external link)
	Dec. 11	Dispersed from BS 10	Bahrein	Dec. 20	Independent	–
	Dec. 22	Bahrein	Bombay	Dec. 29	Independent	–
1941	Jan. 11	Bombay	Bahrein	Jan. 17	Independent	–
	Jan. 21	Bahrein	Aden	Jan. 29	Independent	–
	Febr. 1	Aden	–	–	BN 14	Dispersed in 10 05N 40E, Febr. 3. Convoy available at BN 14 (external link)
	Febr. 3	Dispersed from BN 14	Suez	Febr. 7	Independent	–
	Febr. 17	Suez	Port Sudan	–	Independent	Stop at Port Sudan not mentioned, Page 1
	Febr. 20	Port Sudan	–	–	BS 16	Dispersed Febr. 25 Convoy available at BS 16 (external link)
	Febr. 25	Dispersed from BS 16	Bahrein	March 4	Independent	A. Hague says: Traded in Indian Ocean to Oct. 9-1941.
	March 11	Bahrein	Aden	March 19	Independent	–
	March 24	Aden	Suez	March 31	BN 21	Convoy available at BN 21 (external link)
	Apr. 5	Suez	Jeddah	Apr. 9	Independent	–
	Apr. 10	Jeddah	Aden	–	Independent	–
	Apr. 12	Aden	Bahrein	Apr. 21	Independent	–
	Apr. 23	Bahrein	Bombay	Apr. 29	Independent	–
	May 9	Bombay	Bahrein	May 16	Independent	–
	May 18	Bahrein	Karachi	May 22	Independent	–
	May 25	Karachi	Bombay	May 27	Independent	–
	July 5	Bombay	Bahrein	July 12	Independent	(See also Page 2)
	July 14	Bahrein	Aden	July 24	Independent	Notional sailing date
	July 26	Aden	Suez	Aug. 1	Independent	–
	Aug. 10	Suez	Bahrein	Aug. 23	Independent	–
	Aug. 24	Bahrein	Bombay	Aug. 31	Independent	–
	Sept. 4	Bombay	Bahrein	Sept. 11	Independent	–
	Sept. 12	Bahrein	Aden	Sept. 22	Independent	–
	Sept. 22	Aden	Suez	Oct. 9	Independent	Arrived Port Said same day (Page 2)
	Oct. 13	Port Said	Haifa	Oct. 14	Independent	A. Hague says: Traded Port Said/Haifa/Alexandria to Jan. 10-1942 Missing voyages, Page 2
1942	Jan. 13	Suez	Aden	Jan. 23	Independent	–
	Jan. 23	Aden	Bahrein	Febr. 4	Independent	–
	Febr. 6	Bahrein	Karachi	Febr. 13	Independent	–
	Febr. 15	Karachi	Bombay	Febr. 19	Independent	A. Hague says: At Bombay to May 7
	May 7	Bombay	Bahrein	May 15	Independent	–
	May 17	Bahrein	East London	June 19	Independent	–
	July 5	East London	Port Elizabeth	July 6	Independent	–
	July 6	Port Elizabeth	Trinidad	Aug. 13	Independent	–
	Aug. 18	Trinidad	Guantanamo	Aug. 25	TAW SL/1	Convoy available at TAW SL/1 (external link)
	Aug. 28	Guantanamo	Key West	Sept. 3	TAW S (1)	(Stop at Guantanamo not mentioned, Page 2). Convoy available at TAW S (1) (external link)
	Sept. 6	Key West	New York City	Sept. 29	Independent	A. Hague says: Note long passage - ? coasting?
1943	Jan. 12	New York City	Gitmo	Jan. 18	NG 336	Convoy available at NG 336 (external link)
	Jan. 18	Gitmo	Curacao	Jan. 22	GAT 38	Convoy available at GAT 38 (external link)
	Jan. 25	Curacao	Cristobal	Jan. 28	Independent	–
	Jan. 29	Balboa	Walvis Bay	March 9	Independent	–
	March 10	Walvis Bay	Saldanha Bay	March 20	–	Notional sailing date
	March 23	Capetown	Port Elizabeth	March 25	CD 11	See also Page 3 Convoy available at CD 11 (external link)
	Apr. 5	Port Elizabeth	Durban	Apr. 6	CD 12	Convoy available at CD 12 (external link)
	Apr. 10	Durban	–	–	DN 32	Dispersed Apr. 12 Convoy available at DN 32 (external link)
	Apr. 12	Dispersed from DN 32	Beira	Apr. 17	Independent	–
	Apr. 24	Beira	Bahrein	May 9	Independent	–
	May 14	Bahrein	Aden	May 22	Independent	–
	May 23	Aden	Suez	May 30	Independent	To Port Said July 14 (Page 3)
	July 15	Port Said	Alexandria	July 16	Independent	–
	July 18	Alexandria	Malta	July 24	MWS 38	Convoy available at MWS 38 (external link)
	Aug. 20	Malta	Tunis	Aug. 22	–	Notional departure date
	Sept. 1	Tunis	Malta	–	Independent	Page 3 gives arrival Sept. 2
	Sept. 19	Malta	Tripoli, Libya	Sept. 20	–	–
	Sept. 26	Tripoli	Malta	Sept. 28	–	–
	Oct. 12	Malta	Tripoli	Oct. 13	–	–
	Oct. 31	Tripoli	Malta	Nov. 1	Escorted	–
	Dec. 20	Malta	Bizerta	Dec. 21	–	–
1944	Jan. 12	Bizerta	Gibraltar	Jan. 16	GUS 27	Convoy available at GUS 27 (external link)
	Febr. 2	Gibraltar	Malaga	Febr. 3	Independent	–
	Febr. 9	Malaga	Gibraltar	Febr. 10	Independent	–
	Febr. 17	Gibraltar	Augusta	Febr. 23	KMS 41	Missing movements, Page 3 Convoy will be added See ships in KMS convoys
	Febr. 28	Augusta	Malta	Febr. 29	Independent	–
	March 23	Malta	Augusta	March 24	Independent	–
	March 30	Augusta	Malta	Apr. 1	Independent	–
	Apr. 5	Malta	Augusta	Apr. 6	Independent	–
	Apr. 11	Augusta	Malta	Apr. 12	Escorted	–
	Apr. 16	Malta	Augusta	Apr. 17	Independent	A. Hague says: Then traded Malta/Sicily to Oct. 24-1944. Missing voyages, Page 3
	June 7	Augusta	Malta	June 8	Escorted	Missing voyages, Page 4
	July 11	Malta	Augusta	July 12	Escorted	–
	July 16	Augusta	Malta	July 17	Escorted	Missing voyages, Page 4
	July 29	Malta	Augusta	July 30	Escorted	Left Augusta, same day (Page 4).
	Aug. 6	Catania	Malta	Aug. 6	Escorted	Missing voyages, Page 4
	Aug. 23	Malta	Augusta	Aug. 24	Escorted	Missing voyages, Page 4
	Oct. 26	Malta*	Taranto	Oct. 28	–	*From Augusta (Page 4)
	Oct. 29	Taranto	Patras	–	HP 2	Convoy available at HP 2 (external link)
1945	Jan. 20	Salonika	Alexandria	Jan. 24	Independent	–
	Febr. 27	Alexandria	Gibraltar	March 7	Independent	A. Hague says: Collision at Gibraltar, March 9
	Apr. 11	Gibraltar	Casablanca	Apr. 12	Independent	A. Hague says: Traded Gibraltar/Casablanca to Nov. 26-1945 Missing voyages: Page 4 & Page 5
	Dec. 1	Gibraltar	Kristiansand, Norway	Dec. 14	Independent	(Via Kirkwall - Page 5). A. Hague says: Towed in, lost starboard propeller Dec. 13 (left Dec. 28 - Page 5).

Notes:

According to Page 1 of the archive documents, Arena was on her way from Suez to Aden when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940. Her 1941 voyages also start on this document.

She transported, among other things, fresh water to dried out places, especially Malta and Gibraltar. Sailed without mishaps through the war, except for occasional trouble with the motors (and apart from the collision in March-1945). As motors on ships were still not universally common in those days, the biggest problem was finding parts, or someone who had the right knowledge and skill to repair them if they malfunctioned. Very often the crew members, with the help of the skillful engineers on board, managed to repair or recreate the broken parts themselves, by using ingenious ideas, tools and methods, so that unnecessary delays could be avoided. In cases where these methods failed, a Norwegian engineer, Sigurd Golten, was often contacted. He started making some of the vital parts, which the crew could not make on board, and which could not be found elsewhere, in a basement in Brooklyn. His foresight was the basis for a worldwide company which still exists today; I came across it just by chance on the Internet, see the external link provided below.

It'll be noticed, when gong to the various archive documents, that she occasionally had long stays in port.

As mentioned in her Voyage Record, Arena sailed in Convoy KMS 41, which departed Gibraltar on Febr. 17-1944 and had Port Said as its final destination. Arena, however, was bound for Augusta, where she arrived on Febr. 23. This convoy will be added to an individual page in my Convoys section in due course, along with further info on it; in the meantime, see the section naming ships in all KMS convoys.

I have a snippet of information saying that Arena was in Malta on July 29-1944, and in Augusta the following month, departing the latter for Malta on Aug. 10. Some of this agrees with the info in her Voyage Record, but the departure Augusta for Malta on Aug. 10 is not mentioned. This voyage is, however, mentioned on Page 4 of the archive documents, though departure date is given as Aug. 12 with arrival Malta on the 13th.

Notes:

This external page states she was owned by Skibs A/S Alida (H. Angel Olsen & Co.), Harstad from 1953, still as Arena. Sold the the U.K. for breaking up in 1955.

Related external link:
Goltens

Back to Arena on the "Ships starting with A" page.

An earlier Arena: Norway lost a steamship by this name to WW I, 1042 gt, built 1883 for English owners. Had the name Radyr 1897-1907, became Norwegian Arena for L. B. Rafen, Holmestrand in 1907. Shelled and sunk by the German U-70 in the North Sea on Apr. 2-1916, voyage Fredrikstad-Hull, owned by A/S Rudolf Olsen & Ugelstad at the time.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Skip of menn", Birger Dannevik, "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, and misc.