Manager: Christen Smith, Oslo
Tonnage: 2888 gt, 1678 net, 4094 tdwt.

Sistership of Belnor, and built by Armstrong Whitworth & Co. Ltd., Newcastle upon Tyne (1013), launched on Febr. 15-1926, delivered in May. Single Armstrong-Sulzer, 6-cyl. diesel (or 4 cyl. when built, 6 cyl. post war?) developing 1350 bhp, about 10 knots. Length overall 328' 9", length b.p. 318' 2 1/2", breadth mld 46', depth mld 23' 3", single deck surmounted by a poop, bridge deck and forecastle measuring 83', 23' and 26'.

Like Belnor, Belpamela, and Belpareil, Belray was capable of carrying heavy loads like locomotives etc. She had 2 holds, and the derricks were mounted on strong swivel bases, one capable of lifting 100/120 tons, another 45/50 tons. Blocks and pulleys were of high tensile steel, and in order to aid weight distribution, a large lifting beam was used. Here are some excerpts re. these ships from the book "Merchant Ships of the World in Color 1910-1929" by Laurence Dunn:

"One of the most important new types to appear during the 20's was the specialist ship designed to carry extra large or heavy loads. Not long after the war, Armstrong Whitworths' had to deliver 200 heavy locomotives and tenders to the Belgian State Railways. To transport these in the usual manner would have involved several months delay, because of dismantling, re-erection, testing etc. Hearing of this Captain Christen Smith, an officer of the Norwegian Navy and an expert in heavy lifts, saw his opportunity. Two existing cargo steamers, the Belgot and the Belfri, were converted to incorporate his ideas as to the arrangement of suitable lifting gear and the stowage and securing of such heavy items. By the use of these ships, the Belgians were able to put their locomotives into service within 24 hours of discharge, the saving in time and cost more than compensating for the extra freight charges. Soon afterwards, Captain Smith was entrusted with the carriage of a large number of locomotives to India. After a visit to Bombay to inspect discharging facilities there, plans were prepared for a series of ships able not only to carry railway rolling stock but also such awkward loads as barges, lightships, etc. A further requirement was the incorporation of extra heavy lifting gear for use when port facilities were inadequate. The outcome was the design for a motorship of about 3,400 tons d.w. Special characteristics were:
1) wide clear holds with the minimum number of bulkheads permissible
2) large hatches, with specially strengthened covers able to support very heavy loads on top
3) deep hatch coamings, to compensate for any loss of strength due to the large size of the hatches
4) a long, single deck, with machinery aft and the narrowest of bridge structures near amidships
5) extra strong stump masts with steel stays, to support the heavy derricks
6) heavy winches to operate these derricks and
7) great inherent stability to prevent excessive list during loading/unloading operations"
The first specially designed ship to join the "Belship" fleet, as it was known, was the Beldis of 1924 (scrapped as Panamanian Marietta in 1971). The sisters Belnor and Belray, delivered in 1926, were of a slightly improved design, longer and wider than Beldis.

Captain: Øivind Barth.

Voyage Record From July-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 each.

Errors may exist, and some voyages are missing.

Compare Arnold Hague's records with these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
(includes voyages missing from A. Hague's records)
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