D/S Einar Jarl - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each (some of the listings are incomplete).

Einar Jarl is listed among the ships in the Gibraltar convoy OGF 21 in March-1940, 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. Einar Jarl's destination is given as Chalkis, station 55; she had started out in Convoy OB 103, together with Bruse Jarl, Bur and Temeraire. The OG convoy will be added to an individual page in my Convoys section in due course, in the meantime, the ships sailing in it (and escorts) are named on the page listing ships in all OG convoys. The external links provided below have more info on the OB and OA convoys. Towards the end of the following month we find her in station 65 of Convoy HGF 28 from Gibraltar to the U.K. She was 1 of 5 Norwegian ships in that convoy, the others being Sevilla, Kosmos II, Stalheim and Bur. Einar Jarl arrived Falmouth Bay on May 4.

According to Arnold Hague, she made an independent voyage from Reykjavik to Sydney, C.B. in Aug.-1940. As can be seen when going to the document received from the Norwegian Archives, she arrived Sydney, C.B. on Aug. 16, having left Reykjavik on the 7th. She was scheduled to return to the U.K. with Convoy HX 73 from Halifax on Sept. 13, but instead joined the next convoy on Sept. 17, HX 74, cargo of pulp for London, station 23.

At the beginning of Nov.-1940, she joined Convoy OB 239, together with Hada County, Henrik Ibsen and Velox (originated in Liverpool Nov. 4), but the convoy returned to port (Oban) on Nov. 8, and Einar Jarl later joined Convoy OB 241 from there a couple of days later. Beduin, Carmelfjell, Emma Bakke, Maridal and Sveve are also listed in this convoy, which had originated in Liverpool on Nov. 9-1940 and dispersed on the 14th, Einar Jarl arriving Sydney, C.B. independently on Dec. 3. (A. Hague has also included Belray, but does not list Emma Bakke in OB 241).

On Jan. 11-1941 she was scheduled for Convoy HX 102 from Halifax, but instead joined the slow Convoy SC 20 on Jan. 22, cargo of pit props for Hull.

Related external links:
OB convoys - OB 103 and OB 241 are included (Einar Jarl is not listed in OB 241 in this section of the site). See also OB 299, where Einar Jarl is listed as sceduled, but was sunk before she could join. Another section of the same site, based on Arnold Hague's database, has Convoy OB 239, as well as OB 241 (Einar Jarl included).

Final Fate - 1941:

Einar Jarl departed Hull Roads in the morning of March 13-1941, joining Convoy FN 429 (ref. link at the end of this page - Ask and Måkefjell are also listed. There's a note attached to Einar Jarl saying "possibly FN 430"). She was bound for Halifax via Methil and Loch Ewe in order to join an Atlantic convoy. This would probably have been Convoy OB 299, which originated in Liverpool on March 19-1941, and for which she's listed as scheduled at the first external website about the OB convoys above. The crew consisted of 22 men and 2 English Army soldiers who were to accompany them on the coastal voyage. She arrived Methil in the afternoon of March 14, then left again in Convoy EN 86A in the afternoon of the 17th (see also my page about D/S Leo; Garonne is also listed in this convoy). She was just passing Firth of Forth when an explosion occurred in the forward part of the ship at 20:50 that evening and she started to sink, listing to starboard (in other words, she never made it to the OB convoy mentioned).

The men went to the starboard boat and by the time the boat was on the water the rail of the ship was level with the surface of the sea, so they had to push off immediately. Einar Jarl sank by the bow in about 5 minutes. A Greek stoker was missing; they remained in the area for about half an hour, but could not find him. He had last been seen on his way to his cabin by Trimmer Øien, presumably to fetch something there.

The survivors were rescued by the British Medway Coast at 21:45. This ship, which had been in the same convoy, was bound for Aberdeen and the survivors were landed there the next day, March 18 and were accommodated at the Seamen's Home and a hotel before continuing to Glasgow, where the maritime hearings were held on March 25-1941 with the captain, the 2nd mate, the 1st engineer, Able Seaman Gjærde (helmsman) and Trimmer Øien appearing.

At first it was thought an air attack was to blame (torpedo), but neither the British destroyer Westminster (escort) nor other ships in the convoy agreed with this theory. It was assumed the cause of the explosion was a drifting mine.

A visitor to my website says she was 9.5 miles off Fife Ness. A message to my Ship Forum says: "Detonated a mine and was lost 9.75-miles east of Fife Ness, position N56 17 30 W02 18 off Firth of Forth (Shipwreck Index of British isles, Richard Larn). The captain's report agrees with position 56 17N 02 18W.

Crew List:

Survivors
Captain Johan Herfjord	1st Mate G. Gaasvik	2nd Mate Arnt Arntsen	Boatswain W. Hagh (Nationality?)	Able Seaman Ole Gjærde	Ordinary Seaman T. Torgersen
Ordinary Seaman M. Borg	Ordinary Seaman J. Dees (Nationality?)	Ordinary Seaman Robert Lyon (Nationality?)	Deck Boy D. Rymer (Nationality?)	1st Engineer Jacob Jacobsen	2nd Engineer H. Henriksen
3rd Engineer N. Nilsen	Donkeyman E. Lydersen	Stoker P. Halaas	Stoker A. Jakobsen	Trimmer Harry Øien	Trimmer A. Barnbyg
Steward R. Thomassen	Cook A. Alstad	Mess Boy N. Lightowler (Nationality?)
Casualty:
		† Stoker Anastasios Nicoladakis (Creek)

Related external links:
Convoy FN 429 (incomplete data). See also Convoy EN 86A.

Stavern Memorial commemoration - Cause for the demise of Seaman Gustav Emil Pettersen is not given, nor is the date, however, "Våre falne", which lists Norwegian WW II casualties states he worked as stevedore at the London Docks during the war and died there on July 12-1944 when Empire Tristram was bombed. I'm not entirely sure this is correct, this Empire ship survived the war until scrapped in 1967, but it's possible, of course, she was just bombed and damaged on that date. He's buried in London. Perhaps he had served on Einar Jarl at some point? (or this listing might be an error).

Back to Einar Jarl on the "Ships starting with E" page.

Nordenfjeldske's other ships by this name (info from "Nordenfjeldske - 1857-1985", by Finn R. Hansen):
The company's first Einar Jarl was built at Fevig, delivered on Jan. 18-1915, 1849 gt. Shelled and sunk by UC 66 on March 12-1917, east of Start Point when on a voyage from London to Fowey in ballast. The crew was saved by a British vessel and taken to Torquay. A 3rd Einar Jarl was launched on July 29-1950. Sold in 1951 and renamed Botne. Had 2 more owners between 1955 and 1968 and the names Pohjannmaa and Fidelity. Towed to Aberdeen on Sept. 27-1970 for breaking up.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Nordenfjeldske - 1857-1985", by Finn R. Hansen, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume I (Norwegian Maritime Museum) - ref. My sources.