M/S Bronxville
Updated March 28-2013
To Bronxville on the "Ships starting with B" page.
Crew List
(A picture is available at Uboat.net. - external link).
Owner: Skibs-A/S Sjøstad
Manager: A. F. Klavenes & Co. A/S, Oslo
Tonnage: 4663 gt, 2793 net, 8423 tdwt.
Call Sign: LDJE.
Built by Odense Staalskibsværft / A.P. Møller, Odense, Denmark in 1929.
Captain: Bjarne Bolt
Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3
Please compare the above voyages with Arnold Hague's Voyage Record below.
Voyage Record
From July-1940 to Aug.-1942:
|
(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.
| 1940 |
July 7 |
Suez |
– |
– |
BS 1 |
Some earlier voyages:
Page 1
Dispersed July 10.
Convoy available at BS 1
(external link) |
| |
July 10 |
Dispersed from BS 1 |
Singapore |
July 29 |
Independent |
– |
| |
Aug. 2 |
Singapore |
Batavia |
Aug. 4 |
Independent |
– |
| |
Aug. 12 |
Batavia |
Manila |
– |
Independent |
Page 1 gives arrival Aug. 21 (via Cebu Aug. 17/19) |
| |
Aug. 23 |
Manila |
Hong Kong |
– |
Independent |
Page 1 gives arrival Aug. 26 |
| |
Aug. 27 |
Hong Kong |
Los Angeles |
Sept. 26 |
Independent |
– |
| |
Oct. 1 |
Pt Angeles |
San Francisco |
Oct. 3 |
Independent |
– |
| |
Oct. 5 |
San Francisco |
Vancouver |
Oct. 8 |
Independent |
A. Hague says:
Traded in the Pacific to Oct. 31-1941
See also Page 1 & Page 2 |
| 1941 |
Oct. 31 |
Vancouver |
New Westminster |
Oct. 31 |
Independent |
– |
| |
Nov. 2 |
New Westminster |
Vancouver |
Nov. 2 |
Independent |
– |
| |
Nov. 7 |
Vancouver |
San Francisco |
Nov. 11 |
Independent |
– |
| |
Nov. 16 |
San Francisco |
Los Angeles |
Nov. 17 |
Independent |
– |
| |
Nov. 17 |
Los Angeles |
Balboa |
Dec. 1 |
Independent |
– |
| |
Dec. 12 |
Cristobal |
– |
– |
Independent |
Page 2 gives arrival Halifax Dec. 12 |
| |
Dec. 15 |
Halifax |
Liverpool |
Dec. 30 |
HX 165 |
– |
| 1942 |
Jan. 20 |
Liverpool |
– |
– |
ON 58 |
Wrecked Jan. 21, refloated Febr. 5.
See narrative below.
Convoy will be added.
See ships in ON convoys |
| |
Febr. 5 |
Refloated |
Belfast Lough |
Febr. 6 |
In tow |
– |
| |
Febr. 13 |
Belfast Lough |
Belfast |
Febr. 13 |
In tow |
To drydock & repair. |
| |
July 10 |
Belfast Lough |
– |
– |
ON 111 |
For New York City.
Dispersed in 41 15N 71 25W, July 24.
Convoy will be added.
See link above |
| |
July 24 |
Dispersed from ON 111 |
New York City |
July 25 |
Independent |
– |
| |
Aug. 11 |
New York City |
Cape Cod Bay |
– |
Independent |
– |
| |
Aug. 14 |
Boston |
Halifax |
Aug. 16 |
BX 33 |
See Page 3
Convoy available at BX 33
(external link)
See also narrative below |
| |
Aug. 22 |
Halifax |
– |
– |
SC 97 |
Sunk - See "Final Fate" below |
For information on voyages made in between those mentioned here, please see the documents received from the National Archives of Norway and A. Hague's record above. Follow the convoy links provided for more details on them. Some include the Commodore's notes and/or various reports and several Norwegian ships took part.
According to Page 1 of the archive documents, Bronxville was in New York when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940, having arrived there the day before. Her 1941 voyages also start on this document and continue on Page 2.
She had arrived Liverpool from Halifax in Convoy HX 165 at the end of Dec.-1941, see Page 3. On her return voyage she ran into trouble. She was one of several ships in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 58* that ran aground in a storm on Jan. 21-1942, near Ballyquintin light south of Belfast. The escorting corvette Monbretia was one of the other ships; both were towed to Belfast for repairs at the beginning of February. (Acanthus is also named among the escorts for this convoy - see ON convoy escorts).
From a website visitor in Ireland I've received the following:
"I can add something to your entry for the Bronxville which went aground near here in a snowstorm, the whole convoy being led into trouble by the escort Monbretia which saw distress lights from another ship the Dorrien Rose which had grounded earlier. One of the crew of the Bronxville told me she had among her cargo a large number of cases of whisky. The customs authorities sealed the hatches and placed a guard, but the crew entered the hold from below and sold a large amount of the whisky ashore in the nearest village, Portaferry. This man, Bert McGinty, who moved to Canada post-war was aboard when she was torpedoed and said they owed their lives to the discipline that prevailed on that ship; other ships' crews did not respond to an emergency so readily".
Other Norwegian ships in Convoy ON 58, which left Liverpool on Jan. 20-1942 (but returned), were Fagersten, Lisbeth, Maud, Rena and Suderøy.
Bronxville did not leave Belfast Lough again until July 10-1942, when we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 111*, originating in Liverpool that same day. Acanthus and Montbretia were again among the escorts, as was Potentilla, and the convoy otherwise included the Norwegian Bralanta, Hjalmar Wessel (returned), Kosmos II, Lynghaug, Nueva Granada and Pan Aruba (returned). Bronxville arrived New York on July 25, the convoy having been dispersed the day before.
* These ON convoys will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section; in the meantime, the ships sailing in them are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys.
More information on all the other Norwegian ships named here can be found via the alphabet index at the end of this page, or go to the Master Ship Index.
Bronxville departed New York on Aug. 10-1942 with a cargo of 800 tons general, 531 tons of which was explosives placed in the shelter deck. She also had trucks and drums on deck and was bound for Liverpool. Her armament consisted of a 4" gun, 2 x 20 mm anti aircraft guns and 6 machine guns. She arrived Woods Hole on Aug. 11 to wait for a convoy, then left in the evening of Aug. 13 for Halifax, arriving on Aug. 15, having sailed in Convoy BX 33, according to A. Hague (the differences in dates here as compared to those found on Page 3 could simply be because of different time zones used). The Norwegian Biscaya, Evita, Henrik Ibsen, N. T. Nielsen Alonso, Norefjord, Pollux and Primo also took part in this convoy.
Bronxville was scheduled for Convoy HX 203, which departed Halifax on Aug. 16, but instead joined the slow Convoy SC 97 on Aug. 22 (Vice Commodore in Bonneville) - several Norwegian ships took part in both these convoys, as will be seen when following the links.
At 06:05 convoy time on Aug. 31-1942 Bronxville, in station 81 of the convoy, was torpedoed by U-609 (Rudloff), struck on the starboard side near hatch No. 1, resulting in a fire breaking out in No. 1 hold with the flames leaping high in between the hatches. Fortunately, she sank before the fire ignited the ammunition. (J. Rowher gives the time of attack as 10:05 German time in 57 13N 33 40W - Captain Bolt's report gives the position as 57 11N 33 45W, adding she sank at 06:12, 7 minutes after the torpedo had hit. Page 3 gives the time 08:05).
The entire crew of 39 was picked up about 20 minutes later by the rescue vessel Perth and landed at Gourock on Sept. 6, then sent to Glasgow where the maritime hearings were held on Sept. 8.
The Panamanian Capira was hit at the same time, and Perth also recovered 33 of the men from that ship, others were rescued by other ships.
For info, U-609 was sunk with all hands early the following year - ref. link at the end of this page for more info.
Crew List - No Casualties:
According to Lillesand Sjømannsforening (external page), Gunleiv Gundersen had previously served on Spero, Fana and Beth (on board when sunk; see crew list). After the loss of Bronxville, he joined Thorsholm, later Kirkenes and Montevideo.
Peder Kvernvik is said to have survived the attack on James Stove (not mentioned on my page for that ship). He had also served on Hardanger. Following the loss of Bronxville, he joined Morgenen. See this external page.
Thorleif Willhelmsen's other ships are listed on this external page, while Haakon Noddeland's other ships can be found on this page.
|
Captain
Bjarne Bolt
|
1st Mate
Leif Kongstein
|
2nd Mate
Frans Sand
|
3rd Mate
Aage Ludvigsen
|
Radio Operator
Wilfred Froste
(Canadian)
|
Carpenter
Peder S. Kvernvik
|
|
Boatswain
Per W. A. Odden
|
Able Seaman
Lars Sola Moen
|
Able Seaman
Olaf Johanssen
|
Able Seaman
Harry Steffensen
|
Able Seaman
Gunleiv Gundersen
|
Able Seaman/Gunner
Konrad Myklebust
|
|
Able Seaman/Gunner
Robert A. Miller
(British)
|
Ordinary Seaman
Thorleif Wilhelmsen
|
Ordinary Seaman
Nick Cherwaty
(Canadian)
|
Ordinary Seaman
Daniel Reid
(British)
|
Ordinary Seaman
Charles Porter
(British)
|
Ord. Seaman/Gunner
Elias Sandhåland
|
|
Ord. Seaman/Gunner
Rolf Trevland
|
1st Engineer
Thor Nilsen
|
2nd Engineer
Olaf O. A. Knotten
|
3rd Engineer
Telford Halvorsen
|
4th Engineer
Haakon Noddeland
|
Electrician
Robert J. McGinty
(British)
|
|
Mechanic
Thrygve K. Thorsen
|
Mechanic
Harry Hansen
|
Mechanic
Karl H. Olausen
|
Mechanic
Olaf Høie
|
Oiler
Arne Hansen
|
Oiler
Richard W. Carlson
(Canadian)
|
|
Engine Boy
George F. Shelby
(Canadian)
|
Steward
Thoralf Larsen
|
Cook
Kristian Tallaksen
|
Galley Boy
John F. Pollock
(British)
|
Mess Boy
Janis Nauthal
(Latvian)
|
Saloon Boy
James C. Foran
(Irish)
|
|
Gunner
Fredrick Clase
(British)
|
Gunner
Richard Edwards
(British)
|
Gunner
Fred Cowan
(British)
|
|
|
|
Related external link:
U-609
Back to Bronxville on the "Ships starting with B" page.
The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume I (Norwegian Maritime Museum), "The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague, and misc. others for cross checking info. - ref My sources.
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