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D/S Astrid To Astrid on the "Ships starting with A" page. Manager: Nortraship
Built by William Gray & Co., Ltd.,West Hartlepool (1126), launched on Nov. 20-1941, completed in Jan.-1942 and delivered as Empire Pilgrim to the Ministry of War Transport, London (Wing Line, Cardiff). Scandinavian type cargo ship ("Scandinavian" design ships were general cargo carriers. Wm. Gray & Company constructed 25 of these ships between 1941 and 1944. This was a single-deck ship, with high bulwarks in the wells, enabling deck cargoes, especially timber, to be carried without obstruction. All lifting and handling gear was placed on the three islands. Some of these ships were adapted and became crane ships, and were equipped with larger derricks. Many of these were used in the Russian convoys). Poop length 33 ft., bridge 82 ft and forecastle 34 ft. Hull length 327.9 ft (oa), 315.5 ft (bp) and breadth 46.5 ft. Engines: T3cyl (10 knots). This source gives tonnage as 2858 gt. Ashore in a blizzard on Jan. 25-1942, 14 miles north of Aberdeen. Holed and flooded; abandoned. Salvage commenced on Febr. 5-1942, refloated on Febr. 16 and towed to Aberdeen. Towed to Blyth by tug Empire Larch on March 25, repaired. She was one of 19 ships transferred to Nortraship in 1942, and was taken over at Blyth on July 13. See Empire Ships on my page "Ship Statistics & Misc." for names of the other 18. Most of the "Empire"-named ships that were transferred from the British to the Norwegian flag during the war years were given the prefix "Nor", while some were named for members of the exiled Norwegian royal family, as in the case of Astrid. Captain: D/S Ringulv's captain Thorvald Messel joined Astrid after his daring escape in a canvas boat from Morocco to Gibraltar. (Ringulv is the ship my father was on when he was sent to the labor camps). See Captain Messel's Diary and my page about Nyhorn, as well as Ringulv. Ingolf Valvatne, who was also from Ringulv, and who took part in the escape, also joined Astrid. Related item on this website: Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives: 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 (where the "Convoy" column is left blank, it means that convoy is not known). Erros may exist and some voyages are missing.
As mentioned under "Ship's History" above, Astrid was taken over at Blyth on July 13-1942. Already on July 19 we find her, with destination Sydney, C.B., in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 114*, which also included the Norwegian Berto, Bonneville (Commodore Vessel), Ingertre, Marga, Marie Bakke, Norhauk, Titanian and Torfinn Jarl. Astrid arrived Halifax on Aug. 3, proceeding to Sydney, C.B. the next day - see Page 1 of the archive documents. With a cargo of wood pulp, she returned to the U.K. on Sept. 5 in the slow Convoy SC 99 from Halifax, then headed back across the Atlantic with Convoy ON 136*, bound for New York (departure Liverpool Oct. 3, arrival New York Oct. 26). Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were Fana, Glarona (from Halifax), Iron Baron, Lisbeth, Novasli and Ravnefjell (also joined from Halifax). Arnold Hague now has her returning to the U.K. in Convoy SC 109*, which left New York on Nov. 9 and arrived Liverpool on the 30th - Astrid stopped at Loch Ewe the day before. She had again been in the company of several other Norwegian ships, namely Atlantic, Grado, Hjalmar Wessel, Iron Baron, James Hawson, Mathilda, Norse Lady, Ragnhild, Ravnefjell, Thalatta and Veni. About a month later, we find her in station 11 of the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 156, which left Liverpool on Christmas Eve, and from which the Norwegian Ingerfem was sunk - follow the link for details. The Norwegian Mathilda is also listed (A. Hague has also included Norhauk, joining from Halifax - see his listing for this convoy at ships in all ON convoys). Astrid's destination is given as Port Royal/Jamaica. She arrived Kingston, via New York and Guantanamo, on Jan. 27-1943 (convoy info in Voyage Record). On Febr. 23-1943, she joined the slow New York-U.K. Convoy SC 121, in which the Commodore Vessel Bonneville and several others were sunk, follow the links for more details - see also this analysis of attacks and the external links provided at the end of this page. Together with Askepot, Harpefjell, Ingerfire (sunk, follow link for info), Norhauk, Ravnefjell and Suderøy, Astrid subsequently headed back across the Atlantic with Convoy ONS 2*, which left Liverpool on March 28 and arrived Halifax on Apr. 19. Astrid, however, was bound for New York, where she arrived Apr. 22, proceeding to San Juan, Puerto Rico on Apr. 27 - see Page 1 and Page 2. In June that year, we find her in Convoy SC 134 from Halifax, cargo of sugar for Liverpool, with arrival there July 1. A couple of weeks later, she joined the westbound Convoy ONS 13*, which left Liverpool on July 14 and arrived Halifax on the 29th; this time, she was bound for Bathurst, N.B., where she arrived (via Sydney, C.B.) on July 31. Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were Geisha (Commodore Vessel), Harpefjell, Hiram, Maud, Norlom, Para, Rena and Sandviken. With a cargo of lumber for West Hartlepool, Astrid headed back in the other direction again on Aug. 21 in Convoy SC 140 from Halifax, and arrived her destination (via Loch Ewe and Methil Roads) on Sept. 7. Later that month she can be found, with destination Sydney, C.B., in Convoy ONS 19*, together with Acasta, Bernhard, Hiram, Norse Lady, Novasli, Rena (Commodore Vessel) and Titanian (convoy left Liverpool Sept. 26 and arrived Halifax Oct. 14 - Astrid sailed from Oban on Sept. 27 and arrived Sydney, C.B. Oct. 13). In Nov.-1943, she's listed in the Sydney, C.B. portion of Convoy SC 146, cargo of lumber for Sharpness, where she arrived on Nov. 25. (Commodore was again in Rena). The following month, she's listed in the KMS portion of Convoy OS 63/KMS 37, voyaging from Milford to Naples with vehicles and coal in station 32. This convoy departed Liverpool on Dec. 25-1943; the Gibraltar bound ships arrived there on Jan. 7-1944, but Astrid was still present when KMS 37* sailed on from Gibraltar. The convoy was attacked by 30 torpedo aircraft on Jan. 10-1944. 2 ships were hit in the attack, namely the American Daniel Webster and the British Ocean Hunter, no casualties on either. The Norwegian Norvarg (bound for Philippeville) and Sirehei (for Oran) were also in the convoy at the time. According to "Nortraships flåte", 6 aircraft were shot down during the attack. (KMS 37 arrived Port Said on Jan. 20, but Astrid arrived Augusta on the 15th - see Page 2). She's also listed in Convoy GUS 30 the following month (Febr.-1944). This convoy had originated in Port Said on Febr. 4 and had Hampton Roads as its final destination, but Astrid was only bound for Bizerta (from Augusta). According to the archive document, she arrived there on Febr. 13, having sailed from Augusta on the 9th. Other Norwegian ships listed in this convoy are Belpareil (bound for Alexandria), Borgholm (destination Bizerta, from Augusta), Høegh Hood (for Augusta), Norden (for Gibraltar), Skotaas (for the U.S., from Malta), Solør (for U.S., from Casablanca) and the Panamanian Norbris (Norwegian managers and, therefore, included on this site - she was bound for the U.S., from Algiers). As will be seen when following the link provided in the above table, the majority of the other ships were British or American. I also have Astrid in Convoy GUS 33, which had originated in Port Said on March 5-1944 (follow the link for the names of other Norwegian ships taking part). This convoy was also bound for Hampton Roads, but many ships had other destinations and parted company along the way, while others joined. Astrid was not present from Port Said, but joined GUS 33 from Bone on March 13, bound for the U.K. via Gibraltar. She's said to have arrived Gibraltar on March 17, leaving again on March 22 for Barrow in Convoy MKS 43*, cargo of iron ore. This convoy joined up with Convoy SL 152 from Freetown the following day, the combined convoy arriving Liverpool on Apr. 4; Astrid stopped at Clyde on the 3rd (Page 3) - follow the link in the above table for more on this convoy, other Norwegian ships are also named. Later that month, she was scheduled for Convoy OS 74/KMS 48* (left Liverpool Apr. 12 - ref. link at the end of this page) but instead joined the OS portion of next convoy, OS 75/KMS 49*, originating in Liverpool Apr. 23-1944, split up May 4, with the Gibraltar portion arriving there on May 6, the OS portion continuing to Freetown, with arrival May 14. Astrid, however, was bound for Dakar, where she arrived on May 11, having sailed from Clyde on Apr. 23, cargo of coal, station 81. From Dakar, she later joined Convoy OS 76. This convoy had originally started out from the U.K. on May 2 as the combined convoy OS 76/KMS 50*, which split up on May 13, the KMS portion arriving Gibraltar on the 15th, while the OS portion continued towards Freetown - note that Astrid was not present from the U.K.; she sailed from Dakar on May 19 and arrived Freetown on the 22nd. Arnold Hague has also included her in Convoy SL 160/MKS 51, which arrived Liverpool on June 21 - Astrid arrived Workington that day. The SL portion, in which Astrid sailed, had originated in Freetown on May 31, joining up with MKS 51* from Gibraltar on June 10 - again, see the links provided in the table above. In July she's listed in Convoy OS 83/KMS 57*, which originated in Liverpool on July 12-1944. Astrid was on a voyage from Belfast for Oran and Algiers with coal, sailing in station 24 of the convoy. It had split up on July 23, with the Gibraltar bound ships arriving there on July 25, while the rest went on to Freetown with arrival Aug. 3. Astrid arrived Algiers on July 27 (arrival Oran is not mentioned on Page 3), and subsequently made a voyage from there to Gibraltar with Convoy MKS 57*, arriving Gibraltar on Aug. 8. Later that month, we find her in the Gibraltar portion of Convoy SL 167/MKS 58*, which arrived Liverpool on Aug. 29 - Astrid arrived Loch Ewe Aug. 30. Further dates and info on these convoys are available via links in the Voyage Record; other Norwegian ships also took part. Her subsequent voyages are shown on Page 3, Page 4, Page 5 and Page 6, while convoy information can be found in Hague's Voyage Record. (It looks like she got to go home to Norway in July-1945, but arrival there is not given - she also went home a couple of times at the end of that year).
Sold in Dec.-1945 to A/S Granli (Rolf Ugelstad) Oslo, and renamed Tindefjell. Sold in March-1948 to D/S A/S Ringhorn (Albert Schjelderup), Bergen, and renamed Ringhorn. Owned from Jan.-1950 by Albert Schjelderups Rederi A/S, Bergen. Sold in May-1950 to Jansens Rederi A/S (Ingvar Jansen), Bergen (renamed Ingvar Jansen?). Sold in Nov.-1958 to Pan Norse SS Co, Panama (mgr. Wallem & Co, Hong Kong) and renamed Indonor. The beneficial owner of this vessel was Tsu Yau Lin of Hong Kong, and she was placed on a hire purchase agreement with PT Maskapai Pelayaran Sumatra, Padang, Indonesia. According to Mr. Jordan's info, she ran aground on a reef on Benkoang Island, Indonesia on Febr. 3-1960 - position given as 05 44N 110 25E. However, a message in my Guestbook says that she lies on Kemojan Island, Karimunjawa, Indonesia, Bengkoang Island being 4-5 miles from the shipwreck. She was on a voyage from Palembang to Sourabaya with a cargo of coal at the time. Slipped off and sank on Febr. 7-1960. She has since moved somewhat to the northeast, and is presently in 05 46N 110 27E. See also this message in my Guestbook re the wreck of Indonor. Related external links: Convoy SC 121 - Ships involved on all sides (from Encyclopedia of WW II Naval Battles). OS and OS/KMS Convoys - As can be seen, Astrid is mentioned among the ships in OS 74/KMS 48. The Empire Ships - On the "Mariners" website (alphabetical list). Empire Pilgrim can be found on this page. Back to Astrid on the "Ships starting with A" page. Other ships by this name: Denmark also had a ship by the name Astrid, as did Finland. The Danish one came under German control in 1940, struck a mine in Sept.-1942, but raised the following year. The Finnish Astrid was built at Stord, Norway in 1901, 603 gt (626?) and was in fact the former Norwegian D/S Saga, ex Ulven, ex Oddborg, originally delivered as Ringfond for Sigval Bergesen, Stavanger, became Astrid of Mariehamn in 1938 - struck a mine and sank on Oct. 21/22-1940 at the east end of the Gulf of Finland with the loss of 10 lives.
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