Owner: A/S Ganger Rolf
Manager: Fred Olsen & Co., Oslo
Tonnage: 2696 gt

Built by Akers mek. Verksted, Oslo in 1933.

Fruit ship, Canary Islands - London (in peacetime).

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Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7

Notes:

As can be seen when going to Page 1, Betancuria was in Santos when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940. She had arrived there from Bahia on Apr. 6, leaving again for Ceara on Apr. 10. Her 1941 voyages start on Page 2 and continue on Page 3, which also has some 1942 voyages (it looks like she had a long stay in Buenos Aires that spring).

According Arnold Hague, she sailed in Convoy OT 1, which left Curacao on May 18-1942 and arrived Trinidad on the 22nd. Page 4 gives her arrival Trinidad as May 20.

He has also included her in Convoy BT 8, leaving Bahia on March 24-1943, arriving Trinidad on Apr. 5. The Norwegian Bajamar and Bañaderos are also named - the external website that I've linked to below has more on these convoys. (Again, see also Page 4).

"Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland states that Betancuria narrowly avoided an attack by U-172* (Emmermann) on July 16-1943, position 22 32S 33 53W, but spotted the U-boat in time and managed to get away. Going back to Page 4, we learn that she was on a voyage from Pernambuco to Buenos Aires on that date, having left Pernambuco on July 13. She arrived Buenos Aires on July 21, and as can be seen, she subsequently remained there until Aug. 24, when she proceeded to Barbados.

*For info, U-172 was responsible for the attacks on Bennestvet and Thorstrand - follow the links for details. The U-boat was sunk in Dec.-1943 - ref. link at at the end of this page.

Page 5 shows the rest of her 1943 voyages as well as her 1944 voyages, while her 1945 voyages and some 1946 movements can be found on Page 6 and Page 7 (occasional long stays in port are shown).

POST WAR:

Sold to Hong Kong in 1964. According to Lillesand Sjømannsforening (Lillesand Seamen's Association - external link) she was renamed Ta Peng for Ta Peng SS Co., Ltd. (Ta Lai SS Co. P.C. Hsiao), Kaohsiung, Taiwan that same year and was sold in Dec.-1969 for breaking up in Taiwan, arriving Kaohsiung on Dec. 20.

Related external links:
Convoy OT 1 - The site (based on A. Hague's database) also has information on Convoy BT 8.

U-172