M/S Buenos Aires
Updated May 7-2013

To Buenos Aires on the "Ships starting with B" page.


Source: Sverre Johansen's collection.

It looks like Buenos Aires was in Baltimore when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940 - see Page 1 of the archive documents. Her 1941 voyages also start on this document and continue on Page 2.

In Nov.-1941, she's listed in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 160. Montbretia is named among the escorts. Buenos Aires, cargo of grain, arrived Avonmouth, via Belfast Lough, on Dec. 4, returning across the Atlantic later that month with Convoy ON 48*, which originated in Liverpool on Dec. 19 and dispersed on the 31st, Buenos Aires arriving New York independently on Jan. 4-1942. She had a cargo of china clay and sailed in station 25 of the convoy, which also included the Norwegian Athos, Chr. Th. Boe, Grena, Havkong, Havprins, Heranger, Høegh Scout, Kollskegg, Nueva Andalucia, Solfonn, Solstad (returned) and Sveve.

Her subsequent voyages are shown on Page 3, while convoy information for some of them can be found in the Voyage Record above. Occasional long stays in port are shown.

The next time she came to the U.K. was in the spring of 1943, when she arrived in Convoy SL 126, which had left Freetown on March 12. Buenos Aires arrived Milford Haven on Apr. 2, continuing to Avonmouth that same day. See the external link provided within the table above for more on this convoy, which lost several ships. She later headed to the U.S. again, joining the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 179*, which originated in Liverpool on Apr. 18 and arrived New York on May. 6. Buenos Aires, however, was bound for Portland, Maine, where she arrived on the 6th, having sailed from Milford Haven on Apr. 17, according to A. Hague. Page 4 has her voyages in this period. She had again been in the company of several other Norwegian ships, namely Athos, Boreas (returned), Høyanger, Katy, Molda, Mosdale, Norheim, President de Vogue and Tai Shan.

With a general cargo for Swansea, Buenos Aires returned to the U.K. in Convoy HX 244, which left New York on June 15-1943 and arrived Liverpool on the 30th (Vice Commodore in Samuel Bakke). Buenos Aires stopped at Belfast Lough on June 29 before continuing to her destination, where she arrived on July 1. A week later we find her in station 32 of the westbound Convoy ON 192*, which originated in Liverpool on July 9 and also included the Norwegian Anna Knudsen, Emma Bakke, Ferncourt, Ivaran, Laurits Swenson (Commodore Vessel), Norholm, Petter, Reinholt, San Andres, Skaraas (returned), Tai Shan, Topdalsfjord, Vest and Villanger, as well as the Panamanian Norvinn, which had Norwegian managers and is, therefore, included under the N's of this website. Some of these ships, including Buenos Aires, headed back in the other direction again with Convoy HX 251, departing New York on Aug. 7, arriving Liverpool on the 23rd. She had a general cargo for Liverpool, station 142. Laurits Swenson again served as the Commodore Vessel, and Acanthus, Potentilla and Rose were among the escorts for a while (see HX convoy escorts).

At the beginning of the following month she joined the westbound Convoy ON 200*, together with Biscaya, Bralanta, Emma Bakke, Fagerfjell, Haakon Hauan, Herbrand, Ivaran, Laurits Swenson, Norden, Norheim, O. B. Sørensen and Reinholt, as well as the Panamanian Norbris (Norwegian managers). ON 200 left Liverpool on Sept. 2 and arrived New York on the 18th. Buenos Aires, however, arrived Baltimore on Sept. 19, later proceeding to New York in order to join Convoy HX 260* back to the U.K. on Oct. 5. Heranger, Ivaran, Laurits Swenson and Thorhild are also listed. Buenos Aires carried a general cargo and explosives and had station 44. According to Page 4, she arrived Milford Haven on Oct. 20, continuing to Swansea the next day. Together with California Express (Commodore Vessel), Duala, Gallia, Heranger, Marit II, Pan Scandia and Vinga, she subsequently joined the westbound Convoy ON 210* (originated Liverpool Nov. 6, to New York Nov. 23), returning to the U.K. with Convoy HX 269* on Dec. 2. Buenos Aires again carried a general cargo and explosives and had station 113 of the convoy, in which the Norwegian Emma Bakke (Vice Commodore), Ivaran, Laurits Swenson (Commodore Vessel) and Noreg are also listed. That year was rounded off by sailing back across the Atlantic in Convoy ON 218*, which left Liverpool on Dec. 31 with Emma Bakke, Herbrand and Strinda in its ranks, while Eglantine and Rose are named among the escorts (see ON convoy escorts). Buenos Aires arrived her destination Baltimore on Jan. 19-1944.

In Febr.-1944 she's listed in Convoy HX 279 from New York, bound for Liverpool with general cargo (Vice Commodore was the captain of Emma Bakke). According to Arnold Hague, Buenos Aires detached from that convoy around Febr. 28 and joined up with the slow Convoy SC 153, which arrived Liverpool on March 2. Later that month we find her in Convoy ON 228*, with Emma Bakke, Fernwood, Herbrand, Laurits Swenson (Commodore Vessel), Solfonn, Somerville and Sørvard. Buenos Aires had station 51 of this convoy, which departed Liverpool on March 15 and arrived New York on Apr. 1. She now returned to the U.K. in Convoy HX 287, again with a general cargo for Liverpool (departure New York Apr. 12, arrival Liverpool Apr. 26). With Fjordaas, Montevideo, Norholm, Norvarg, Rena, Solsten, Sommerstad, Thorshov, Titanian and Vera, she subsequently joined Convoy ON 236*, departing Liverpool on May 11, arriving New York on the 27th, heading back to Liverpool on June 10 in Convoy HX 295, arriving Liverpool June 25 (Page 4). This time, the Commodore was in Elisabeth Bakke.

On July 10 she joined the westbound Convoy ON 244*, together with Herbrand, Morgenen and Thorsholm. This convoy arrived New York on July 23-1944, and she now remained there for several weeks, until she shows up again in the eastbound Convoy HX 307 on Sept. 6, along with Fagerfjell, Frontenac, Idefjord, John Bakke, Kaia Knudsen, Thorsholm and Stiklestad. Buenos Aires was again bound for Liverpool, general cargo as well as 17 Alligators, station 71, sailing right next to the Commodore Vessel, which in this case was the Norwegian John Bakke. HX 307 arrived Liverpool on Sept. 20, and on Oct. 2 she joined Convoy ON 257*, as did Frontenac, G. C. Brøvig, Heranger, Kaia Knudsen and Norbryn. Buenos Aires arrived Philadelphia on Oct. 19, later proceeding to New York in order to join Convoy HX 318 on Nov. 4, bound for Glasgow with general cargo - her voyages at this time are shown on Page 5. Her last Trans-Atlantic voyage that year was made with Convoy ON 270, station 101. She arrived Baltimore on Christmas Eve.

She was scheduled to go back to the U.K. with Convoy HX 332 from New York on Jan. 13-1945 (in which Solør was torpedoed, follow the link for details - Commodore was in Abraham Lincoln), but did not sail - it'll be noticed, when going back to the archive document referred to above, that she was still in Baltimore on that date. She was also cancelled from the next convoy, HX 333, but got away with HX 334 on Jan. 23, general and explosives for Hull, where she arrived on Febr. 9. Commodore for this convoy was in Samuel Bakke, and Acanthus is named among the escorts. Later that month she's listed in Convoy ON 287*, which left Southend on Febr. 25 and arrived New York City on March 14; Buenos Aires arrived Philadelphia that day. Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were Norsktank, Østhav, Roald Amundsen, Solfonn, Sophocles, Strix, Thorshov and Tiradentes. Some of these ships, including Buenos Aires, headed back to the U.K. with Convoy HX 347*, departing New York on March 29. She had a general cargo and explosives and sailed in station 95 of the convoy, in which Brasil, Dalfonn, Fenris, Lektor Garbo, Marit II, Roald Amundsen, Sophocles (Commodore Vessel), Sverre Helmersen and Thorsholm are also listed, as is the Panamanian Norlys. Buenos Aires arrived Swansea on Apr. 15. VE Day was celebrated at sea while in the westbound Convoy ON 299*, which left Southend for New York on Apr. 26 (Buenos Aires sailed from Milford Haven Apr. 28) and included Fagerfjell, Glarona, Kaldfonn, Lektor Garbo and Sophocles.

The rest of her 1945 voyages are shown on Page 5. As can be seen, she could finally go home to a free Norway in June-1945. Page 6 has her voyages to Apr.-1946.

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