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M/T Bralanta To Bralanta on the "Ships starting with B" page. She also sent me the following 3 pictures: Manager: Ludv. G. Braathen, Oslo Built in Malmö 1936. Captains: Christian Fredrik Arnesen (my Norwegian Guestbook has a message from his grandson). Also, Captain Olaf Bjønnes (from the sunken ship M/T Solheim, March-1941) was on Bralanta for 3 years, then he was on Nordahl Grieg until the end of the war.
(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 several voyages are missing. Compare Arnold Hague's information with these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Follow the convoy links provided for more information on them, some also include the Commodore's narrative of passage and various other reports. As will be seen when going to Page 1 of the documents received from the National Archives of Norway, Bralanta was on her way from Los Angeles to Yokohama when Norway was invaded by the Germans on Apr. 9-1940. Several more such voyages were made in the course of 1940 and up until March-1941. In Aug./Sept.-1941, Bralanta (in station 102) was in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 147, along with the Norwegian Nueva Granada (station 104), Bello (station 114), Solør (station 54), Sandanger (station 103, which means she was the 3rd ship in the 10th column, right behind Bralanta and in front of Nueva Granada), Slemmestad (station 95), Strinda (station 63), G. C. Brøvig (station 44), and probably O. A. Knudsen (in station 112). Bralanta, with destination Curacao, subsequently joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 18, which left Liverpool on Sept. 19 and dispersed on Oct. 2, Bralanta arriving Curacao independently on Oct. 12 - follow the link for the names of other ships in this convoy, several of which were Norwegian. Towards the end of that month we find her in Convoy HX 156 from Halifax to the U.K., returning with the westbound Convoy ON 36, which originated in Liverpool on Nov. 13-1941 and dispersed on Nov. 25. According to the original convoy document Bralanta, in station 75, was in ballast for New York, however, according to Arnold Hague her destination was Corpus Christi, where she arrived independently on Dec. 8. She headed back to the U.K. again shortly after Christmas with Convoy HX 167, which left Halifax on Dec. 27-1941. Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were O. A. Knudsen, Thorshavn or possibly Thorshavet, Suderøy, Meline, Noreg, Abraham Lincoln, Sandanger, Cetus, Bonneville, and Herbrand. At the external website that I've linked to below Bralanta is mentioned in Convoy OS 18 at the end of Jan.-1942, but she did not sail. Instead she joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 65* about a week later, together with the Norwegian Arthur W. Sewall, Cetus, Egda, G. C. Brøvig, Hardanger, Kaldfonn, Kollbjørg, Mirlo, N. T. Nielsen Alonso, Nueva Granada, Stiklestad, Tankexpress, Troubadour, and Vav. This convoy originated in Liverpool on Febr. 8-1942 and dispersed on the 19th, Bralanta (station 62) arriving her destination Aruba independently on March 2. Later that month she's listed in Convoy HX 181 from Halifax, but according to Arnold Hague she became a straggler from that convoy and joined up with the slow Convoy SC 75 on March 26, arriving Liverpool on Apr. 3. A couple of weeks later we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 87*, departing Liverpool on Apr. 16, dispersed Apr. 26. She was again bound for Aruba, where she arrived independently on May 5. Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were Albert L. Ellsworth, Atlantic, Glittre, Havprins, Herbrand, Katy, Norheim, Norsol, Polartank, Skandinavia, Stiklestad, and Vav. From Aruba she travelled to Freetown, then joined Convoy SL 112 (station 92) in order to return to the U.K. This convoy left Freetown on June 4-1942 and arrived Liverpool on the 23rd, but Bralanta stopped at Belfast on the 22nd, continuing from there to Swansea the next day in a BB convoy (ref. Voyage Record). Other Norwegian ships in SL 112 were Atlantic, Glittre, Herbrand, Norsktank and the Panamanian Vestfold, which had Norwegian managers. Bralanta now joined another westbound North Atlantic convoy, namely ON 111*, which originated in Liverpool on July 10, and included the Norwegian Bronxville, Hjalmar Wessel (returned), Kosmos II, Lynghaug, Nueva Granada, and Pan Aruba, while the Norwegian corvettes Acanthus, Montbretia and Potentilla are named among the escorts. Bralanta arrived Halifax, on July 22. Skipping now to Oct.-1942, when we find her in Convoy HX 213, which left New York City on Oct. 26-1942. Her destination is given as Mersey and Stanlow in the convoy document, cargo of fuel oil, station 81. She returned to New York with the westbound Convoy ON 147*, departing Liverpool on Nov. 17-1942, again with a number of Norwegian ships in company, namely Abraham Lincoln, Egda, Katy, Norfalk and Nortind. Bralanta was scheduled to return to the U.K. in Convoy HX 219 from New York in Dec.-1942, but did not sail and also cancelled from the next convoy, HX 220. Instead she made a voyage directly from the U.S. to Oran in Jan.-1943, as can be seen in the Voyage Record. She now took part in the allied operations in Africa (see Athos for a list of Norwegian ships taking part). From Oran she continued to Algiers in Febr.-1943, then made a voyage from there to Gibraltar with Convoy MKS 8, before heading back to the U.S. - again, please refer to the information found in the above Voyage Record for information on this and her subsequent voyages. At the beginning of May-1943 she was scheduled for Convoy HX 237 from New York to the U.K., but instead joined the next convoy a week later, HX 238 - destination is given as Stanlow in the original convoy document. She returned to New York with the westbound Convoy ON 187*, departing Liverpool on June 1-1943, arriving New York on the 15th. The Norwegian Annik, Athos, Braga, Elisabeth Bakke, Fagerfjell, Frontenac, Helgøy, Kronprinsen, Lista, Morgenen, Norbryn, Norefjord, O. B. Sørensen, President de Vogue, Toledo and Vanja are also listed, as is the Panamanian Norvinn, which is included on this website because she had Norwegian managers. Bralanta headed back to the U.K. again later that month in Convoy HX 245, bound for Swansea with a cargo of pool fuel, station 93, and in July she joined the westbound Convoy ON 193*, which originated in Liverpool on July 16-1943. As usual, several Norwegian ships took part, namely Chr. Th. Boe, Fagerfjell, Fernwood, Geisha, Harpefjell, Herbrand, Hiram, Idefjord, Maud, Meline, Norlom, O. B. Sørensen, Para, Samuel Bakke, Sandviken, Santos, Skaraas, Skjelbred, Stiklestad, Thorhild, Thorshov, and Tungsha, as well as the Panamanian Norlys, which had Norwegian managers and is, therefore, included under the N's of this website. Bralanta was scheduled for Convoy HX 251 from New York the following month, but joined the next convoy instead, HX 252, bound for Mersey, station 82 (see also Santos). This convoy arrived Liverpool on Aug. 29-1943; already on Sept. 2 we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 200*, which arrived New York, Bralanta's destination, on Sept. 18. Fagerfjell, Herbrand and O. B. Sørensen were again in company, as were Biscaya, Buenos Aires, Emma Bakke, Haakon Hauan, Ivaran, Laurits Swenson, Norden, Norheim, Reinholt and the Panamanian Norbris, which is also included under the N's of this site. From the U.S., Bralanta now sailed to North Africa again - please see her Voyage Record. The next time she came to the U.K. again was in Jan.-1944, when we find her in Convoy HX 275 from New York, bound for Clyde, where she arrived on Jan. 28. According to Arnold Hague she joined the westbound Convoy ON 224 on Febr. 14, but returned to port the next day, following a collision (name of colliding ship is not given, but see ** below), later joining Convoy ON 225*, which left Liverpool on Febr. 22-1944 and arrived New York March 8. Abraham Lincoln, Ferncourt, Haakon Hauan, Lista, Marit II, Montevideo, Skiensfjord, and Thorsholm are also listed, as is the Panamanin Norlys. (The corvette Buttercup, which was later transferred to Norway after the loss of Tunsberg Castle, is named among the escorts). In May-1944 Bralanta is listed in Convoy HX 290 from New York, arriving Liverpool on May 20, returning to New York a week later in the westbound Convoy ON 238*, arriving New York on June 9 (and included Fernwood, Jotunfjell, Morgenen, Skotaas, and Thorsholm). Later that month she was one of several Norwegian ships in Convoy HX 296 from New York. Her destination on that occasion is given as Mersey, Milford Haven and Portsmouth. The last westbound North Atlantic convoy she sailed in was Convoy ON 245*, which originated in Liverpool on July 18-1944 and arrived New York on Aug. 2, and also included Chr. Th. Boe, Emma Bakke, Fjordaas, Gudvor, Mathilda, Montevideo, O. B. Sørensen, Petter II, and Tanafjord.
Continued to serve under the Norwegian flag until the early 1960's and was broken up during 1962-63. Related external link: Back to Bralanta on the "Ships starting with B" page. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, article in "Krigsseileren" No. 3, 2000, and misc. others for cross checking info - ref My sources.
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