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M/T Dalfonn To Dalfonn on the "Ships starting with D" page. Manager: Sigvald Bergesen, Stavanger Built by Eriksbergs Mekaniske Verkstads A/B, Gothenburg, Sweden in 1928.
(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:
Dalfonn, with destination Le Havre, is listed as sailing in the Gibraltar-U.K. Convoy HGF 22 in March-1940. In May that year she was in Convoy HX 41 (having been cancelled from the previous convoy, HX 40), together with the Norwegian Sveve and Rym. Dalfonn's destination is given as Le Havre on the A 1 form, while the Advance Sailing Telegram says Brest for orders, cargo of fuel oil. She had arrived Curacao on Apr. 23, left again on the 25th for Trinidad with arrival on the 27th, then proceeded to Halifax to join this convoy (arr. May 5), which left for the U.K. on May 8 (note that this voyage to Trinidad is not mentioned in the Voyage Record, nor on Page 1 of the documents received from the National Archives of Norway - both say she made a voyage to Trinidad prior to the Curacao voyage). Dalfonn arrived Brest on May 23. According to A. Hague, she made an independent voyage from France to Trinidad the following month (though he says she did sail in a convoy for a few days at the beginning of the voyage, 63X - ref. link provided), returning to the U.K., via Bermuda, in July in Convoy HX 60, bound for Liverpool with Admiralty fuel, arriving Liverpool on Aug. 7 (she had been cancelled from the Bermuda portion of the previous convoy, HX 59). Follow the links for more convoy information; several Norwegian ships took part. Together with the Norwegian Belinda, Erviken, Helgøy, Hørda, Høyanger (did not sail?), Idefjord, Leiesten, Taranger and Thorshavet, she joined Convoy OB 259, leaving Liverpool on Dec. 14-1940. Dalfonn's destination was Cape Town, where she arrived independently on Jan. 19-1941. She may very well have saved the Dutch tanker Pendrecht from being shelled and sunk by U-96, which according to "Nortraships flåte" had just attacked the Dutch vessel with her last torpedo when Dalfonn appeared on the scene (Dec. 18) having herself previously lost the convoy in bad weather. When Dalfonn's people spotted the U-boat, which until then had been hidden by the tanker, they suspected the stricken vessel to be a decoy, possibly a supply ship, and quickly removed themselves, while at the same time sending out radio signals of the situation and firing the guns. 7 shots were fired, but none hit. A few miles away they now observed a British cargo ship which had also spotted the U-boat and which fired at it, whereupon the boat disappeared. The Dutch seamen were then able to take their ship to port. (Pendrecht was torpedoed and sunk by U-48 on June 8 the following year). The names of other ships in Convoy OB 259 are available at the external link provided in the table above. Please see the Voyage Record and the documents from the Norwegian archives for information on the rest of her 1941 voayges, as well as her 1942, 1943 and 1944 voyages. In June/July-1944 she sailed in Convoy HX 297 from New York, returning to New York at the end of July with the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 246*, which originated in Liverpool on July 25, arrived New York Aug. 9, and also included the Norwegian Abraham Lincoln, Alaska, Atlantic, Brimanger, Dageid, Danio, Fernwood, Ivaran, James Hawson, Kaldfonn, Leiv Eiriksson, Ørnefjell, Petter, Skotaas, Strinda, Thorhild, Tiradentes, Toronto, Vardefjell and Velox. Just 2 days later, Dalfonn started on her return voyage in Convoy HX 303 with 16 other Norwegian ships, namely Tanafjord, Romulus, Noravind, Atlantic, Sommerstad, Skotaas, Geisha, Thorhild, Petter, Stirlingville, Rena, Para, Titanian, Mui Hock, Fjordaas and Norse Lady. The following month we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 253*, originating in Liverpool on Sept. 13-1944, arriving New York on the 28th (Dalfonn arrived Philadelphia Sept. 29). Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were Fosna, Kronprinsessen, Marit II, and Tanafjord. Dalfonn subsequently joined Convoy HX 312, which arrived Liverpool from New York on Oct. 21; Dalfonn's destination is given as Clyde, where she arrived on the 19th. About a week later she joined the westbound Convoy ON 262*, together with Anna Knudsen, Fosna, Norma, Skotaas, Somerville and Spinanger. The convoy arrived New York on Nov. 10, and already on Nov. 14 she was ready to return to the U.K. with Convoy HX 320, bound for Southampton, with arrival there on Dec. 3. The only other Norwegian ships listed in this convoy are Anna Knudsen and Gefion. That year was rounded off by sailing back to the U.S. with the westbound Convoy ON 271* in Dec.-1944, with Fjordaas and Villanger in company. In the middle of Febr.-1945, Dalfonn is listed as bound for Mersey in the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 339, returning across the Atlantic the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 289*, again in the company of several Norwegian ships, namely Brasil, Havprins, Høyanger, John Bakke, Molda, and Polarsol, as well as the Panamanian Norlys and Norvinn, both listed under the N's on this website because they had Norwegian managers. She now headed back to the U.K. in Convoy HX 347, which left New York on March 29-1945 and arrived Liverpool on Apr. 14, then about a week later she joined the westbound Convoy ON 298* in order to return to New York, arriving there on May 7. Fenris, Marit II, Morgenen, Reinholt and Thorsholm also took part, as did the Panamanian Norlys. Dalfonn's last eastbound convoy voyage took place in May, when she sailed back to the U.K. in Convoy HX 356, departing New York on May 13. The 2 HX convoys mentioned here are not available among the HX convoys included on my own site, but I've linked directly to them within the table above, and as can be seen, they both had several Norwegian ships, namely Brasil, Buenos Aires, Fenris, Lektor Garbo, Marit II, Roald Amundsen, Sophocles, Sverre Helmersen and Thorsholm, as well as the Panamnian Norlys in HX 347, while Emma Bakke, Fenris, Lista, Sørvard, and again the Panamanian Norvinn are listed in HX 356.
Arrived Barry Docks on Oct. 31-45 for docking. Overhauled by Harland & Wolff at Southampton and sold in 1949 to Mosvold Shipping, Farsund, renamed Mostun. Sailed from Southampton on June 6-1949 for Curaçao (she had arrived Southampton on May 6-1949 from Stanlow). Sold in 1950 to Thomas Entz Tanker GmbH, Germany, and renamed Elizabeth Entz. Sold to Japanese breakers in 1960 and left Tokuyama on Sept. 16-1960 for Hirao to be broken up. Related external link: Back to Dalfonn on the "Ships starting with D" page. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, E-mails from R. W. Jordan, and misc. (ref. My sources).
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