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D/S Brant County To Brant County on the "Ships starting with B" page.
Manager: Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab, Bergen Operated on County Line services (Inter-Continental Transport Services, Ltd. Bergen).
Delivered in Jan.-1919 from AG Neptun, Rostock, Germany (344). She had been launched in Nov.-1915 as Mülhausen, but laid up unfinished. Work re-commenced in 1918, completed Jan-1919 as Lennep for Deutsch-Australische Dampfschiffahrts Ges., Hamburg. Handed over to Gt. Britain in Aug.-1919 (F.C. Strick & Co. Ltd./Shipping Controller). Purchased by Bergenske D/S in 1921 from J. Coull & Sons, Newcastle. In 1936 cabins for 10 passengers were installed. "Merchant Ships of the World" by Laurence Dunn, says, among other things, the following: The book adds that she was laid down to D.A.D.G. with the intended name Mülhausen, as mentioned, which conformed to D.A.D.G. policy, "yet she was completed as the Lennep, apparently named after a Dutch fiction writer of the 19th century. Such a choice suggests that there had been ideas of a sale to Holland". She was "built and engined by the Akt. Ges. Neptun of Rostock. Her main dimensions were length b.p. 419.9', breadth 54.1' and depth of hold 26.3'. The load draught was 24' 11". She had 2 decks and 5 hatches and was propelled by a set of triple expansion engines with cylinders of approx. 30, 48 3/4 and 80 3/4" diameter and 55" stroke. The 4 single ended boilers had a working pressure of 213 psi. The coal bunker capacity was 845 tons, with reserve space for a further 1,070 tons. Her speed, it would seem, was never shown in reference books, but her passage times suggest an average of 11/12 knots. Her d.w tonnage was 7, 937. Gross measurement was originally 4972, later 5289 and finally 5001. As the Lennep she was surrendered to Great Britain in 1919 and managed on behalf of the Shipping Controller by F.C. Strick & Co. Ltd. In March-1921, while lying at Swansea, she was one of a batch of some 70 ex German ships offered for sale to British nationals. Bought by Coull & Sons, Newcastle, she was renamed Brant County and resold that year to become the largest ship of Bergenske D/S. Her red, white and black funnel markings were not theirs, but were linked with a venture started by Canada Steamship Lines, Ltd., Montreal who, in May-1921, announced the opening of a regular cargo liner service between the St. Lawrence and Europe; the Continental ports eventually settled on being Hamburg, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Le Havre. The new company was advertised as the Inter-Continental Transport Services Ltd. (County Line). The ships used in this line were generally renamed after Canadian counties and were chartered from Norwegian companies like Mowinckel, Westfal-Larsen, Bergenske D/S, L.W. Hansen and Olaf Orvig." Captain in WW II: Norvald Brevik.
(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 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. When Norway was invaded on Apr. 9-1940, Brant County was en route from Dartmouth to New York. In May she can be found among the ships in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 42, several of which were Norwegian. She had a general cargo, sailing in station 83, and her destination is given as Le Havre in the original A 1 form for this convoy, while destination is given as "Brest for orders" in the Advance Sailing Telegram. According to A. Hague she arrived Brest on May 27, later taking part in "Operation Aerial" - ref. link in the above table. That summer she's listed in Convoy OB 182, which originated in Liverpool on July 11-1940 and also included the Norwegian Idefjord, Ila, Mexico, Nova, and Stigstad. This convoy dispersed on July 14, Brant County arriving her destination Montreal independently on July 23. The following month we find her, with a general cargo for Garston, in the Sydney, C.B. portion of Convoy HX 64, and in Oct. she shows up, together with Laurits Swenson, Petter and Samuel Bakke, in Convoy OB 226, which originated in Liverpool on Oct. 9-1940 and dispersed on the 12th (Borgland was also scheduled, but did not sail). Her destination was again Montreal, where she arrived, via Port Alfred, on Oct. 26. She returned to the U.K. the following month with Convoy HX 87, bound for Liverpool with general cargo, again joining with the Sydney, C.B. portion. According to Arnold Hague, she made an independent voyage from Liverpool to St. John, N.B. in Jan.-1941, then headed back to the U.K. again in Convoy HX 108, departing Halifax on Febr. 9-1941. Only the Bermuda portion is available to me for this convoy, as will be seen when following the link, but the external website that I've linked to within the above table has the names of the other ships. The following month she's listed in Convoy OB 301, originating in Liverpool on March 23, dispersed March 27, Brant County arriving St. John, N.B. independently on Apr. 5 (again, ref. external link in the above table - Ferncourt, Kongsgaard, Ranja, Taurus and Torborg are also listed). Later that month she joined Convoy HX 122, bound for Avonmouth with a general cargo, station 74 - see also the cruising order and Commodore's notes. At the end of May we find her in Convoy OB 327, together with Madrono, Para, Stiklestad, Strinda, and Torvanger. This convoy originated in Liverpool on May 28-1941 and dispersed on June 1, Brant County arriving her destination Montreal independently on June 10. At the end of that month she joined Convoy HX 136, bound for Avonmouth with general cargo and misc. war stores (trucks, aircraft, guns, shells), joining with the Sydney, C.B. portion. She returned across the Atlantic with the westbound Convoy ON 5, originating in Liverpool on Aug. 6-1941, dispersed Aug. 14. She was again bound for Montreal, arriving there independently on Aug. 20. In Sept.-1941 she sailed in station 87 of Convoy HX 149. Other Norwegian ships were Daghild (station 63), Brasil (83), Thorsholm (33), Innerøy (35), Thorshov (64), Somerville (66?), Glittre (24), Lise (44), Harpefjell (86), Norvik (Panamanian flag, Norwegian managers and therefore included on this website, in station 84, behind Brasil), Aristophanes (43), and Kollbjørg (73). Brant County now returned to Montreal, having joined Convoy ON 28*, which originated in Liverpool on Oct. 20-1941. When the convoy was located by U-boats on Oct. 29 the Admiralty redirected it and ordered the fastest ships (including Brant County, Polartank and Laurits Swenson) to go on alone, and Brant County arrived Montreal on Nov. 5. (The American Salinas was damaged by U-106 on Oct. 30). Other Norwegian ships were Beth, Grena, Morgenen, and Ringstad. Brant County returned to the U.K. again with Convoy HX 162 (departing Halifax Nov. 27-1941), together with the Norwegian Astrell, Bello, Katy, Sama, Skandinavia, Beth and Høegh Scout. Norvinn (Panamanian flag, Norw. managers and therefore listed on this site) was also scheduled to be in this convoy but did not sail. At the beginning of the new year she joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 54*, which also included the Norwegian Daghild, Fenja, Gallia, Haakon Hauan, Leiesten (returned), and Lise. This convoy originated in Liverpool on Jan. 6-1942 and dispersed on the 17th, Brant County arriving St. John, N.B. independently on Jan. 24. She subsequently returned to the U.K. with Convoy HX 175, departing Halifax on Febr. 13-1942, and in March she joined the westbound Convoy ON 79*, which originated in Liverpool on March 23-1942 and included the Norwegian Grey County, Hallanger, James Hawson, Meline, Norefjord, Noreg, Stigstad, and Trondheim. Brant County headed back to the U.K. again in Convoy HX 186, departing Halifax on Apr. 20-1942, and in May she joined the westbound Convoy ON 97*, originating in Liverpool on May 22, arriving Halifax on June 5, Brant County continuing to her destination Sydney, C.B. that same day in an HS convoy (see Voyage Record). B. P. Newton, Brimanger, Cetus, Gallia, Norfjell, and Nortind are also listed in ON 97, as is the Panamanian Norvik, which is included under the N's of this website because she had Norwegian managers. Brant County now made another voyage to Montreal and various other ports before returning to the U.K. in Convoy HX 202 in Aug.-1942, general cargo for Belfast (station 91). She was severely reprimanded for being a "bad roamer" in this convoy, but the captain "indignantly denies that it was his ship and considers that a mistake has been made" - there's more about this in the Commodore's notes on my page about HX 202, which departed Halifax on Aug. 9. She returned across the Atlantic in the westbound Convoy ON 129*, which originated in Liverpool on Sept. 11-1942 and included the Norwegian Atlantic, Kollbjørg, Meline, N. T. Nielsen Alonso, San Andres, Vardefjell, (returned), Vav, and Velma (returned following collision). The final destination for this convoy was New York, where it arrived on Sept. 25, but Brant County was bound for St. John, N.B. again, arriving there on Sept. 29 with an HF convoy from Halifax (ref. Voyage Record). On Oct. 10 she started on her return voyage to the U.K., joining Convoy HX 211, which had originated in New York on Oct. 8, but Brant County, bound for Avonmouth with general cargo, joined from Halifax. She returned across the ocean the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 145 and witnessed 3 British ships being torpedoed on Nov. 21 (British Renown, damaged - British Promise, damaged and Empire Sailor, sunk - all by U-518). This convoy originated in Liverpool on Nov. 9 and arrived New York on the 25th, but it looks like Brant County was bound for St. John, N.B. again, arriving there on Nov. 25. The Norwegian Askepot, Mosli, Ørnefjell, Skaraas, and Thorhild also took part (the latter was the Vice Commodore's ship). See also this message in my Guestbook (on the bottom of the Guestbook page). My page about ON 145* will be updated to show all the ships sailing in it. Christmas that year was spent while in Convoy HX 219, which originated in New York on Dec. 13, but Brant County joined the convoy from Halifax on the 16th, general cargo and mail, bound for Holyhead, then Avonmouth. The following month Brant County joined the westbound Convoy ON 162, originating in Liverpool on Jan. 23-1943, arriving New York on Febr. 11, but Brant County was again bound for St. John, N.B., where she arrived via Halifax on Febr. 10. Follow the link for the names of other Norwegian ships in this convoy. This was to be her last westbound, North Atlantic crossing; she was sunk on her return to the U.K. the following month
Brant County joined the Halifax portion of the slow eastbound Convoy SC 121 in Febr.-1943 in order to head back to the U.K. (Bonneville and several others were sunk), but returned to port, later joining Convoy HX 228, which originated in New York on Febr. 28. Brant County, however, joined this convoy from Halifax on March 4, taking station 135. Both these convoys had several other Norwegian ships as well; follow the links for more information. There's also a cruising order for HX 228, misc. reports, and an analysis of U-boat operations in 4 eastbound convoys sailing around the same time. (Here is the analysis for HX 228). On March 10 an intense battle ensued between U-boats and escorts, resulting in the British destroyer Harvester being sunk by U-432, but the French corvette Aconit took revenge by sinking the boat (Harvester and Aconit had previously sunk U-444). Meanwhile, several ships were torpedoed within the convoy. 36 men, including the captain and 8 passengers, died when Brant County was torpedoed by U-86 (Schug, see * below) in the early morning hours of March 11-1943. She was bound for Newport with a general cargo as well as 670 tons explosives in No. 1 and No. 2 holds, and a large amount of carbide in No. 3 hold. When the torpedo detonated in the cargo of carbide, it was immediately set on fire. Of the 5 men on the bridge, 2nd Mate Granum, Steward Hansen and Helmsman Fjelle managed to get aft and lower themselves into the port lifeboat which had been launched by the 3rd mate, 2nd engineer and the donkeyman. The other 2 on the bridge died, the radio operator when he jumped overboard and disappeared, the other, the captain, died in the flames. The 3 stokers who were on duty in the engine room were killed (Jan de Greef, Ingvald Eggum and Michael Lehane), while 3rd Engineer Hjalmar Holthe managed to get on deck, but had been unable to stop the engine. The 23 who had succeeded in getting in the port boat watched as crew and passengers struggled to get 2 rafts launched, and when the boat had drifted about 200 meters away the flames on board their ship reached the TNT, causing a huge explosion, sending pieces of metal and other debris over the area (damaging the U-boat which was still on the surface ?). What follows is an excerpt from the Commodore's report: The survivors were picked up half an hour later by the British Stuart Prince, another ship in the convoy. Stoker Ferdinand Olsen was badly burnt and died shortly thereafter. The survivors were landed in Liverpool on March 16, where the maritime hearings were held on March 23-1943, with the 2nd mate, the 2nd engineer, the 3rd engineer, Able Seaman Fjelle and Able Seaman Heimstad appearing.
Crew List:
Related external links: Back to Brant County on the "Ships starting with B" page. Bergenske DS had another ship named Brant County in 1947, ex Nortraships' D/S Carl Oftedal which was taken over by Bergenske in 1946, renamed Brant County in 1947. Renamed Matang in 1954 (Halvorsen Shipping Co, Bergen), became German Hedwigshutte in 1956 (Hedwigshutte Kohlen & Kokswerke, Hamburg), Greek Saronis in 1960 (A.Lusi Ltd, London, later J.C.Carras & Sons, London, 1965). Broken up in Taiwan in 1968. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Bergenske, byen og selskapet" by Dag Bakka Jr., "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume I (Norwegian Maritime Museum) and misc. others for cross checking info. - ref My sources.
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