D/S Evanger - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5

Some Convoy Voyages:

(More convoy information will be added).

Evanger was in Antwerp on May 10-1940, when the air attacks on the city started. (The Norwegian D/S Madrono was also there). That same evening the British destroyer HMS Brilliant (Lt. Cdr. F.C. Brodrick) arrived to organize the departure of the 26 merchant ships in the harbour. They all got out on the 12th followed by 50 tugs, while being attacked 3 times by German aircraft.

In July-1940 she can be found in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 57, bound for Liverpool with general cargo (station 63) together with several other Norwegian ships (follow the link for details). She arrived Liverpool on July 26, and the following month she's listed, with destination Norfolk, VA, in Convoy OB 205, leaving Liverpool on Aug. 29, dispersed the next day, Evanger arriving Hampton Roads independently on Sept. 16. The Norwegian Bestum, Olaf Fostenes, Solhavn and Thorøy are also listed in OB 205. Evanger returned to the U.K. in Convoy HX 81 from Halifax on Oct. 16, arriving Liverpool Nov. 2. Towards the end of that year she shows up, with destination Philadelphia, in Convoy OB 262, leaving Liverpool on Dec. 20, dispersed on the 23rd. Bur, Grena and Nea are also listed, while Fido and Leikanger were scheduled but did not sail - see the external links at the end of this page for more on these OB convoys. Evanger arrived Philadelphia independently, via Halifax, on Jan. 10-1941.

At the end of Jan.-1941 she joined Convoy HX 106 from Halifax; again with other Norwegian ships. With Belinda, Havsten, Malmanger and Strinda, she subsequently joined Convoy OB 298, leaving Liverpool on March 16, dispersed on the 20th, Evanger arriving Halifax on Apr. 1. She headed back to the U.K. at the end of May with Convoy HX 129, bound for Barry with general cargo (arrived Barry Roads June 13), joining Convoy OB 341 at the beginning of July (left Liverpool on June 30, dispersed on July 6; Evanger joined from Milford Haven); her destination is given as Halifax, where she arrived on July 18 - again, see the external links below (as well as Page 2 of the archive docs). Brisk, Fana, Leikanger, Novasli, Nueva Granada, Nyholt, Polartank, Ringstad, Sommerstad, Thorøy, Thorshavn, Thorsholm and Vigsnes are also listed. The following month we find her in station 84 of Convoy HX 144, along with the Norwegian Polartank (station 95), Orwell (54), Hallanger (53), Eidanger (83), Havprins (82), Grena (73), Suderøy (63), Norse King (15), Vinland (66) and Sommerstad (93). Evanger subsequently joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 16, but was detached and sent to Convoy ON 17 instead (she arrived Halifax on Oct. 5). Follow the links for further dates and info.

In Jan.-1942 Evanger, with general cargo for Liverpool, sailed to the U.K. in the slow Convoy SC 65 (departed Halifax Jan. 17), having been cancelled from the previous convoy, SC 64. She arrived Liverpool on Febr. 2 (according to Page 2 of the archive docs), returning to Halifax with the westbound Convoy ON 68* (left Liverpool on Febr. 19, dispersed March 9), arriving Halifax on March 10, heading back to the U.K. in Convoy SC 77, which left Halifax on March 30 and arrived Liverpool Apr. 16. On May 6 that year, Arnold Hague has her in the westbound Convoy ON 92* (she's not mentioned at all on my own page for Convoy ON 92). She's also listed as bound for New York with general cargo in ON 94* about a week later (originated in Liverpool on May 12). Going back to the archive document already mentioned, we see that she did leave Mersey on May 6, but only went as far as Belfast, with arrival there the next day, then left Belfast Lough again on May 13, and joined ON 94 from there, arriving New York on May 27.

In July-1942 she's listed in Convoy SC 90 from Sydney, C.B., general cargo for Liverpool, returning to New York at the beginning of Aug.-1942 with the westbound Convoy ON 118* (departed Liverpool on Aug. 1, dispersed Aug. 20, Evanger arriving New York independently the next day). She had again been in the company of several other Norwegian ships, namely Dux, Nea, Norvarg, Rio Verde, Spero and Tore Jarl. Evanger went back to the U.K. again in Sept. with Convoy SC 99, subsequently joining the westbound Convoy ON 138* the following month, again bound for New York. This convoy departed Liverpool on Oct. 11, arrived New York on Nov. 3-1942, and included the Norwegian Ferncliff, Harpefjell, Henrik Ibsen, Lista, Maloja (detached, sunk), Norheim, and Petter II.

See Page 2 an Page 3 of the documents received from the National Archives of Norway for information on her subsequent voyages. Note also that the external website already mentioned has her in several GAT convoys (Guantanamo - Trinidad), as well as in some returning TAG convoys, among several others.

Skipping now to July 30-1943, when I have her in Convoy SC 138 from Halifax, arriving Liverpool on Aug. 12, and at the end of that month she's listed as bound for New York with general cargo in station 31 of the westbound Convoy ONS 17*, which also had Fernbank, Grey County and Suderøy in its ranks, while the Norwegian corvettes Potentilla and Rose are named among the escorts. Evanger arrived New York on Sept. 19, heading back to the U.K. on Oct. 11 in Convoy SC 144 from Halifax. At the beginning of Dec.-1943 she joined the westbound Convoy ONS 24* in order to return to New York. This convoy originated in Liverpool on Nov. 30 (Evanger joined from Oban) and arrived Halifax on Dec. 18; Evanger arrived New York on Dec. 21. Atlantic, Brush, Chr. Th. Boe, Grey County, Solstad and South America are also listed.

At the end of Jan.-1944 she joined the slow Convoy SC 152 from Halifax, general cargo for Liverpool, with arrival Febr. 15, heading back across the Atlantic at the end of that month with the westbound Convoy ONS 30*, together with Henrik Ibsen, Para, Sommerstad and Veni (convoy left Liverpool Febr. 27, arrived Halifax March 13; Evanger arrived New York March 16), and in Apr. that year she was in Convoy SC 157, general cargo for Tyne. At the beginning of June-1944, she shows up, with Henrik Ibsen, Idefjord, John Bakke, Mui Hock, O. B. Sørensen, Thalatta, Torborg, Vav and Vinga, in the westbound Convoy ON 239* (departure Liverpool June 3, arrival New York June 22), returning to the U.K. the following month in the large Convoy HX 300 from New York, again bound for Tyne with general cargo.

At the beginning of Sept.-1944 we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 251*, which left Liverpool on Sept. 1, arrived New York on the 19th, and included Bernhard, Elg, Ferncliff (returned), Fjordheim (sunk - follow link for details), Germa, Grey County, Heimgar, Henrik Ibsen, Rutenfjell, Snar, Thorhild, Tungsha, Veni and Vera, as well as the Panamaian Norbris, which had Norwegian managers and can be found under the N's on this website. In Oct.-1944 she sailed in Convoy SC 158 from Halifax, general cargo for Avonmouth, where she arrived on Oct. 20. In the middle of Nov. she's listed as bound for Halifax with coal in Convoy ONS 36*, which departed Liverpool on Nov. 13 and arrived Halifax on Dec. 3. Geisha, Grey County, Heimgar, Henrik Ibsen, Marie Bakke, Minerva, Snar, Sommerstad, Tropic Star, Velox, Veni and Vinga are also said to have taken part. Christmas that year was celebrated while in Convoy SC 163 from Halifax, general cargo for Manchester (arrived Jan. 5-1945).

Evanger, destination Halifax, subsequently joined the westbound Convoy ONS 41* at the end of Jan.-1945 (departure Liverpool on Jan. 29). Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were Atlantic, Gausdal, Geisha, Maud, Sommerstad, Titanian, Veni and Vinland. Evanger arrived St. John's, N.F. on Febr. 18, and according to A. Hague, she went back to the U.K. again in Convoy SC 171, which left Halifax on March 27-1945 and arrived Liverpool on Apr. 10. This convoy is not available among the SC convoys included onmy own website, but I've linked directly to it at the end of this page, and as can be seen, the Norwegian Arosa (returned), Grey County, Henrik Ibsen, Ima, Morgenen, Norsktank, Norvarg and Vinga are also listed. The last westbound convoy voyage Evanger made was with Convoy ONS 49*, which left Liverpool on May 2 and also included Askepot, Brush, Germa, Grey County, Henrik Ibsen, Iron Baron, Maud, Orwell, and Velox. In other words, she was at sea when the news of peace in Europe was received. Her destination on that occasion was Montreal, where she arrived on May 19, general cargo. It looks like she had joined this convoy from Belfast Lough - see Page 5 of the documents received from the National Archives of Norway, which also shows the rest of her voyages, up to and including most of Apr.-1946. As will be seen, she got to go home to Norway in Oct.-1945.

* All the ON and ONS convoys mentioned here are available and will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, along with further details on each. In the meantime, the ships sailing in them (and escorts) are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys and ships in all ONS convoys.