D/S Atle Jarl
Updated July 14-2008

To Atle Jarl on the "Ships starting with A" page.

On Apr. 29-1940 she collided with the British submarine HMS Unity - see external links below.

A French visitor to my site has told me that Atle Jarl was stopped for examination off Bizerta by French patrol boats around Febr. 2-1940 (can this month be correct? Should probably be June). She was ordered to Oran, and was then allowed to proceed, sailing from Oran on June 16-1940 in Convoy 29 R (this convoy is available at the external site that I've linked to within the Voyage Record, but Atle Jarl is not included). She was at Gibraltar on June 17, and a few days later we find her in Convoy HG 35 from Gibraltar to the U.K., bound for London in station 63 of the convoy, which left Gibraltar on June 21. The only other Norwegian ship was Brask.

In Aug.-1940 we find her, together with the company's Tore Jarl, in Convoy OA 194, which departed Methil on Aug. 5 and dispersed on the 9th (ref. external link in the above record), Atle Jarl arriving Pictou independently on Aug. 20. At the beginning of the following month she joined the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 3, from which the Norwegian Lotos was sunk, and which had a large number of Norwegian ships. Atle Jarl had a cargo of lumber for Kirkaldy. In Oct. she shows up, with Jernland and Selvik, in Convoy OA 228, departing Methil on Oct. 12, dispersed Oct. 16, Atle Jarl arriving St. John, N.B. on the 29th. Towards the end of Nov.-1940 she's listed, with a cargo of lumber for Dublin, in Convoy SC 13; however, there's a note in the convoy document saying she returned to port, and she appears again in Convoy SC 15 on Dec. 8. Again, there's a barely legible note next to her name saying "returned to ?", and according to her Voyage Record she arrived St. John's, N.F. on Dec. 20, so she may have had some kind of a problem.

She's listed again as scheduled for Convoy SC 20 in Jan.-1941, but instead joined the next convoy, SC 21, which left Halifax on Jan. 31-1941 and arrived Liverpool on Febr. 18. Her destination is given as Belfast and Dublin. In March she joined the Gibraltar bound Convoy OG 55*, together with Arosa, Bello, Corvus, Frontenac, Thyra and Trolla (departure Liverpool March 7-1941, arrival Gibraltar March 21), but returned to port with defects and later joined the next convoy, OG 56*, which originated in Liverpool on March 17 - the Norwegian Hørda, Rym, Sneland I, and Vigsnes are also listed. Atle Jarl arrived Huelva on Apr. 3, cargo of coal, then returned to the U.K. later that month with the Gibraltar-U.K. Convoy HG 59, bound for Bristol with fruit (the Norwegian Thyra is also listed). In May she joined the U.K.-Gibraltar Convoy OG 62*, which left Liverpool on May 15 and arrived Gibraltar on the 29th, but Atle Jarl had detached from the convoy around May 26, arriving Bathurst independently on June 2 (other Norwegian ships listed in this convoy: Chr. Knudsen, Rolf Jarl, and Storanger). Later that month we find her, together with Rolf Jarl, in Convoy SL 78, which departed Freetown on June 18 and arrived Liverpool on July 12, having lost several ships.

She was one of 14 Norwegian ships in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 4, which departed Liverpool on Aug. 6-1941 and dispersed on the 18th - follow the link for the names of the others. Her destination is given as Sydney (Cape Breton), and she had station 15. She subsequently returned to the U.K. the following month with Convoy SC 43, which departed Sydney, C.B. on Sept. 5-1941 and arrived Liverpool on Sept. 20. This convoy is not included among the SC convoys on my own site, but I've linked directly to it in the table above. The Norwegian Astrell, Bernhard, Bjørkhaug, Bonde (returned), Erica, Fjord, Fjordheim, Galatea, Ingerfem, Solstad, Torfinn Jarl, and Vigsnes are also listed.

Atle Jarl now made voyages around the U.K., until Sept.-1943, when she sailed to Gibraltar with Convoy KMS 26*, departing Liverpool on Sept. 5, arriving Gibraltar on the 18th. She continued to Algiers that same day, still in KMS 26. The following month she made a voyage from Bone to Malta in Convoy KMS 29*, departing Gibraltar on Oct. 20 (for info, this convoy had started out from Liverpool on Oct. 7-1943 as the combined convoy OS 56 / KMS 29 which split up on Oct. 18, the KMS portion heading to Gibraltar with arrival there on Oct. 20, while the OS convoy continued to Freetown, where it arrived on Oct. 29 - note, however, that Atle Jarl was not present in the combined convoy from the U.K., having joined from Bone, as mentioned). In Nov.-1943 I have her in Convoy MKS 30 - scroll down to the second table on that page. She was en route from Augusta to Bizerta, but straggled and arrived Malta. She shows up again in the next convoy, MKS 31 (again, scroll down to the second table on the page).

In March-1944 she's listed as bound from Bone to Augusta with Convoy KMS 43* (departure Gibraltar March 6 - again, this had previously started out from the U.K. as a combined convoy, namely OS 69 / KMS 43, which departed Liverpool on Febr. 23, split up on March 5, with the KMS portion arriving Gibraltar on March 6, the OS convoy arriving Freetown on March 15, but again, note that Atle Jarl was not present from the U.K.). The following month she again made a voyage from Bone to Augusta, Convoy KMS 48*, departing Gibraltar on Apr. 25 (having started out in Liverpool on Apr. 12 as combined Convoy OS 74 / KMS 48, split up Apr. 23, the KMS convoy arriving Gibraltar Apr. 25, the OS convoy continuing to Freetown with arrival there on May 3 - but Atle Jarl was not present from the U.K.).

As can be seen, she's listed in several Naples to Augusta and returning convoys in the course of 1944 (NV and VN convoys), as well as few AH and HA convoys (Augusta-Bari and return). She also appears in a couple of GUS convoys, but did not follow them all the way to the U.S. - in one she made a voyage from Bizerta to Bone, in another her voyage information is given as Augusta to Bone, both in the spring of 1944, and she also made voyages in the other direction with UGS convoys (which had originated in Hampton Roads).

Billy McGee, England has told me that Atle Jarl's Fireman Edmond Carroll from Dublin is commemorated at Tower Hill, Panel 12 - I found him on this external page. Date of death is given as July 7-1944 at age 62 - I'm not sure what caused his death.

* All the OG convoys mentioned here are available and will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, along with further details on each. In the meantime, please go to these convoys on the page listing ships in OG convoys. The MKS and KMS convoys will also be added; for now, the ships sailing in them (and escorts) are named in the section listing ships in MKS convoys, and the section for ships in KMS convoys.

For more information on all the other Norwegian ships mentioned on this page, please see the alphabet index below, or go to the Master Ship Index.

POST WAR:

In service between the White Sea-England and the Continent in 1951. Partly in service, partly laid up in the period 1952-1953. Remeasured in 1953, new tonnage 1225 gt, 676 net, 1700 tdwt. Laid up in Trondheim in Sept.-1953. Into North European tramping service on July 14-1954. Sold on Apr. 26-1955 to D/S A/S M. H. Kongshavn & Sønners Rederi, Haugesund and renamed Kongshavn, used in lumber trade. Sold to Brødrene Anda, Stavanger in Dec.-1967 and converted to barge with the name Havn. Used as 'warehouse vessel'. Reported broken up in 1973. (Info from "Nordenfjeldske", Finn R. Hansen). This sequence of events conflicts slightly with what is found in "Våre gamle skip" by Leif M. Bjørkelund and E. H. Kongshavn, which says Kongshavn was used as "warehouse vessel" (storeship?) Havn, and was later turned into barge Balder, then broken up in Stavanger in 1979. This book also gives a slightly different tonnage (1190 gt) and says she was sold to Brødrene Anda in Oct.-1967.

Back to Atle Jarl on the "Ships starting with A" page.

Nordenfjeldske D/S's other ships by this name:
The company had earlier had another Atle Jarl (ex Navarre?), built 1904, 1094 gt - purchased by Nordenfjeldske in 1911. Stopped by U-78 off the coast of Norway on Oct. 21-1916 and taken to Cuxhaven, later to Hamburg (prize). Sold to Germany in 1919, renamed Barbara, then sold to Yugoslavia in 1925 and renamed Morava. Sold to France in 1933, renamed Soussien, sold to Italy in 1937 and renamed Rastrello - sunk as such on June 16-1940 during air attack. Another Atle Jarl had been delivered in Dec.-1947 as Arcturus to Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab, 1333 gt, sold to Nordenfjeldske in Febr.-1958. Sold to Lebanon in 1972 and renamed Amal, later sold again and renamed Saadeddine. Broken up in Dec.-1980. There was also an Atle Jarl built in 1976, 499 gt, remeasured in 1991, became 1284 gt. Had various owners between 1979 and 1995, and the names Mare Freezer and Green Flake. Still in service in 1999.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, and misc. as mentioned within above text - (ref. My sources).