Site Map | Search Warsailors.com | Merchant Fleet Main Page | Warsailors.com Home |
|
D/S Bruse Jarl To Bruse Jarl on the "Ships starting with B" page. (See the last external link provided at the end of this page for a picture). Manager: Det Nordenfjeldske Dampskibsselskab, Trondheim Delivered in June-1923 from Trondhjems mek. Verksted (176) as Bruse Jarl to Det Nordenfjeldske Dampskibsselskab. 278'-8"/265' x 42' x 20' (loa/lpp x W x D) - Triple exp steam engine by shipbuilder, 1321 ihp at trials, 11.2 knots. Cargo hold capacity: 153.400/161.200 cub. ft. bale/grain. Cargo vessel of the "three island" type, the last in a series of 4. Captain: J. Herfjord. A Captain Lossius and B. Pedersen are also mentioned (see narrative below).
(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database). Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each. Or go to this external page, click on "Ship Search", then type "Bruse Jarl" in the search field. This will bring up direct links to each convoy. Please be aware that some of them may be incomplete - compare A. Hague's numbers to TDS numbers (TDS = number of ships according to Trade Division Signal). Errors may exist, and some voyages are missing. Compare Arnold Hague's information with these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
In Febr.-1940, Bruse Jarl is listed in Convoy HGF 18 from Gibraltar, bound for London, station 74 (there's a note next to her name in the original convoy document, giving the captain's name as Lossius at that time - possibly the same as Morten Lossius of Tordenskjold?). As can be seen when following the link, other Norwegian ships listed in this convoy are Garonne and Temeraire. Later that month she shows up in Convoy OA 97, but was only bound for Cardiff on that occasion, where she arrived on Febr. 25. The following month Bruse Jarl was in the Gibraltar convoy OGF 21*, a combination of Convoys OB 103 and OA 103, which joined up on March 5-1940, both having departed the U.K. on March 3. Bruse Jarl's destination is given as Thesalonika, station 85, and she had originally started out in the OB convoy, as had Einar Jarl and Temeraire. Both are included in the OG convoy as well, together with Bur. Follow the external links provided within the above table for more on the OA and OB convoy. A French visitor to my website has told me that she was seized off Tunisia by French patrol boats on Apr. 10-1940 (the day after the German invasion of Norway). She was ordered to Bizerta, but released a few days later. On Apr. 18 she returned to the U.K. with Convoy HGF 27 from Gibraltar, together with the Norwegian Harpefjell. Bruse Jarl was bound for London, station 63. With Sevilla, she later joined Convoy OA 148 which, combined with OB 148, formed Convoy OG 30* on May 16, arriving Gibraltar on May 22. In Nov.-1940, we find her in Convoy SLS 56/SL 56 from Freetown, bound for Liverpool in station 56 of the convoy. The Norwegian Ferm, Sandar and Sirehei are also listed. It looks like Bruse Jarl had started out with the SLS convoy, which had left Freetown on Nov. 19, then joined up with the SL convoy on Dec. 9 (originated in Freetown Nov. 21). Bruse Jarl arrived Oban on Dec. 12. Again, see the links provided in the table above. In Jan.-1941 she's listed in the U.K.-Gibraltar Convoy OG 50*, originating in Liverpool on Jan. 16-1941. She headed back to the U.K. the following month with Convoy HG 54, bound for Liverpool with fruit, then in Apr.-1941 she joined Convoy OG 58*, together with Brisk, Marga, Marita, Nesttun, Polyana (sunk - follow link for details), Senta, Star, and Torfinn Jarl. Bruse Jarl went back to the U.K. again in May in Convoy HG 61, bound for Barrow with iron ore and esparto, station 52 (right behind Torfinn Jarl). Captain's name is given as B. Pedersen on that occasion. She arrived Barrow on May 21, and a little over a week later she joined Convoy OB 329, with Belpareil, Bjerka, Christian Krohg (sunk, follow link for details), Finnanger, Garonne, O. A. Knudsen, Sirehei (returned), and Veni. This convoy originated in Liverpool on May 31-1941 and dispersed June 5, Bruse Jarl arriving her destination Montreal independently on June 16. According to A. Hague she subsequently returned to the U.K. in the slow Sydney, C.B.-U.K. Convoy SC 38, departing Sydney on July 22-1941. This convoy is not available among the SC convoys listed on my own site, but I've linked directly to in the table above, and as can be seen, the Norwegian Facto, Granfoss, Ila, Ingrid, Selbo and Senta are also included (though Senta is said to have returned after having struck ice, as did several of the other ships in this convoy). Bruse Jarl had a cargo of flour, sailing in station 73. She later headed back across the Atlantic in the westbound Convoy ON 10, which originated in Liverpool on Aug. 27-1941 and dispersed Sept. 11, Bruse Jarl arriving Clarke City independently on the 14th, heading back to the U.K. in Convoy SC 46, departing Sydney, C.B. on Sept. 24 (again, see the link provided in the table above). Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were Alaska, Bestik (returned), Bonde, Fidelio, Gezina, Loke, Senta and Solsten. In Nov. that year we find her in station 93 of the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 37, originating in Liverpool on Nov. 15 (Bruse Jarl joined from Aultbea), dispersed on the 30th, Bruse Jarl arriving Halifax independently on Dec. 6. The Commodore's narrative is also availble for ON 37. - several Norwegian ships took part in both these convoys. Bruse Jarl was scheduled to return with the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 60 on Dec. 16, but instead joined the next convoy on the 21st, SC 61, cargo of flour for London. In Febr.-1942 she joined the westbound Convoy ON 64*, together with Frontenac, Primero, and Snar. The Norwegian corvettes Acanthus and Rose are named among the escorts for this convoy, which left Liverpool on Febr. 7-1942 and arrived Halifax on the 24th. Bruse Jarl subsequently returned to the U.K. the following month in the Slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 74, cargo of flour for Leith, station 32, and in Apr.-1942 she joined the westbound Convoy ON 88*, which originated in Liverpool on Apr. 21 and included Akabahra, Brisk, Don, Evviva, Gezina, Henrik Ibsen, Inger Lise, Marga, Senta, Spurt and Star. She sailed back to the U.K. in June with Convoy SC 86, cargo of lumber for London, and later joined the westbound Convoy ON 112*, together with Albert L. Ellsworth, Bjørkhaug, Borgholm, Evviva, Facto, Fidelio, Gezina, Hjalmar Wessel, Ingerfem, Lisbeth, Loke, Norjerv, Ragnhild, Selvik and Titanian. Bruse Jarl had station 54 of this convoy, which originated in Liverpool on July 13-1942. Her destination is given as Sydney, C.B., where she arrived (via Halifax) on July 31, then headed back to the U.K. again at the end of the following month in Convoy SC 98 (having been cancelled from SC 97) - follow the links for further dates and convoy details. For the rest of that year she was mostly in service around the U.K., with a voyage to Iceland and back in between. From the spring of 1943 she started to make voyages around the Mediterranean (with ammunition). The company's Atle Jarl, Tore Jarl and Torfinn Jarl were also in this type of service (Bruse Jarl and Tore Jarl had to continue with transport to civilians in Italy and Greece untill well into the fall of 1945. Some of the officers didn't get to see their families until the spring of 1946 - this was not unusual, of course). Bruse Jarl shows up in Convoy KMS 11* in March-1943, voyaging from Cardiff to Gibraltar, where she arrived on March 24, the convoy having departed Clyde on March 14. She later proceeded to Algiers, then made a voyage from there to Oran in Convoy MKS 11 on Apr. 12/Apr. 13. Torfinn Jarl and Evviva are also included. From Oran she travelled to Philippeville in Convoy KMS 13* at the end of that month - see the Voyage Record, which also shows her subsequent 1943 voyages. The following month she was in Algiers loading a cargo of 500 tons bombs, 700 tons aviation fuel and 600 tons general for Bizerta. There, she was on stand-by order to depart on short notice. Finally, on June 13 orders came to proceed the next morning to Pantellaria, which had fallen on the 11th. The destroyer Petard was escort. Due to continuous air attacks on the harbour she had to cruise around outside for over 2 days, with gunners on 24 hours duty. On the 2nd night, 2 large bombs fell close to the ship, causing some damage, and the next morning 6 aircraft came in low over the island, damaging the destroyer which had to return to base, leaving Bruse Jarl to fend for herself while waiting for a new escort. In the morning of June 16 she anchored up outside Pantellaria harbour, and military personnel came on board, predicting that she would probably be sunk one way or another, either by aircraft or U-boats which were operating in the area, and unloading of her cargo seemed hopeless at that point. The new escort finally came and signalled for Bruse Jarl to proceed to Sousse, and all on board were rather disappointed as they had wanted to have the honour of being the first allied ship to deliver war materials to the first fallen European post of the Axis. But they later learned the reason for their retreat; the preparations for landings at Sicily were well underway (invaded July 10), and no one, least of all the Royal Navy, had the time to worry about Pantellaria at that point (summary of the mate, Leif Hassel's story - found in "Menn uten medaljer" - he died in 1979. Another mate on board was Martinius Myklevoll, previously of D/S Cadmus, which had been torpedoed and sunk on July 1-1942). In March-1944, Bruse Jarl is listed in Convoy OS 70/KMS 44, voyaging from Milford to Bone in station 82 (she had returned to the U.K. in Dec.-1943/Jan.-1944, as can be seen in the Voyage Record). The convoy had originated in Liverpool on March 3 and split up on March 15, Bruse Jarl arriving Bone on March 20, having sailed in the KMS* portion of the convoy - Topdalsfjord is also listed (the OS convoy, meanwhile, in which the Norwegian Jenny took part, proceeded to Freetown, with arrival there on March 25). Again, please refer to the Voyage Record for information on the rest of her voyages.
Sold in Aug.-1950 to Hamburg-London Linie (A Kirsten & Co.), Hamburg, renamed Cordelia, delivered on Aug. 15. Sold in 1960 to Tramppilaiva O/Y (manager J Konkola), Helsinki, Finland, renamed Tarvo. Sold in Febr.-1963 to Rudolph Harmstorf, Lübeck, Germany, to be broken up. Related external links: Lillesand Sjømannsforening's website (Lillesand Seamen's Association) has a picture of this ship, along with pictures of several other Norwegian ships. Back to Bruse Jarl on the "Ships starting with B" page. Nordenfjeldske's other ships by this name: Nordenfjeldske later had a tanker by this name, delivered in Sept.-1943 as Lilløhus to Trälleborg Ångfartygs-AB, Trälleborg, 8428 gt (built in Malmö). Purchased by Nordenfjeldske in Sept.-1956 and renamed Bruse Jarl; sold to Spain in July-1962 for breaking up. The company's 3rd Bruse Jarl (also a tanker and also built by Kockums) was delivered in Jan.-1964, 35 412 gt. Changed hands 3 times between 1969 and 1981 and had the names Defiant Colocotronis, Oriental Discoverer and Kynossoura. Deleted from register in 1990. Bruse Jarl (IV) was delivered from Rosenberg Verft AS, Stavanger on Jan. 5-1974, 18 640 gt, became 19 134 gt in June-1980. Sold to Holland in 1987 and renamed Iver Stream, registered in Larvik. Still in service in 1999. (Info from "Nordenfjeldske - 1857-1985", by Finn R. Hansen). The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, and misc. (ref. My sources). Pre war and post war details from Nordenfjeldske D/S fleet list, Finn R. Hansen.
|