M/T Fjordaas
Updated Sept. 17-2008

To Fjordaas on the "Ships starting with F" page.


Source: Bjørn Milde's postcard collection.

Picture received from Alf Helge Omre, son of Arne Aresen (ref. this message in my Norwegian Guestbook).

He also sent the above picture showing his father (on the right) in front of the ship, and the next photo

Arne Aresen is No. 2 from the left in the back row - the others are unknown.
Arne Aresen (born in Jan.-1913) died on Febr. 9-2005.

Misc. War Details:

(More convoy information will be added).

Fjordaas is listed as bound for New York in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 38* in Nov.-1941 (having previously arrived in the U.K. with the slow Sydney, C.B. Convoy SC 50 [external link], which had left on Oct. 17-1941 and arrived Liverpool on Nov. 4).

She rescued 17 men from an American ship in the Gulf of Mexico in 1942 - exact date and name of ship not known.

In Jan.-1942 she was in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 171, subsequently returning to the U.S. at the end of the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 71*, bound for Port Arthur, station 75. In July-1942 we find her in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K Convoy SC 91. She's also mentioned among the ships in the westbound Convoy ON 125 towards the end of the following month (station 82), but it looks like she must have returned (or did not join), because when she was torpedoed in Sept. she was in ON 127 (she could not have gone all the way to the U.S. and back to the U.K. in time to join ON 127 on Sept. 4). Follow the links for further dates and cruising orders.

She was hit amidships under the bridge, port side by a torpedo from U-218 (Becker) at 22:30 on Sept 10 (11?)-1942, 51 16N 29 08W, when in Convoy ON 127, as mentioned. Another torpedo from the same U-boat had barely missed. The crew got into 2* lifeboats while the captain, 1st Mate Arne Aresen and Chief Engineer Arne Hjalmar Olsen stayed on board to inspect the damages. The explosives had made a hole 30 x 60 ft and she was close to breaking in 2, but because of the special way she was built, with 4 tanks right next to each other, she stayed afloat. Further inspections showed extensive damages to the bridge section and instruments there, but the engine and steering mechanisms were intact, so the captain recalled the lifeboats at 02:00, and after the ship had been trimmed they returned to the U.K., arriving Clyde on Sept. 15, having sailed about 1000 n. miles.

* I've been told that before Arne Aresen passed away, he said that he disagreed with the statement in my text above that 2 lifeboats were put on the water; he remembers it as only 1. He also said that he did not agree with the captain's decision to return to the U.K. alone, feeling it would have been safer to try to catch up with the convoy instead, but in the end the captain's orders had to be followed.

Fjordaas was repaired at Smith's Dock in Newcastle and was ready to return to service in Dec. that same year.

George Monk, a visitor to my website has told me that the following men received ungazetted awards for services when the ship was torpedoed and damaged (his source: Seedies List of awards to the British Merchant Navy which includes awards to Allied merchant seamen):
Hon OBE [Civ] = "Honor of the British Empire": Chief Engineer Arne Hjalmar Olsen, Captain Peder Saltnes and 1st Mate Arne Aresen. (Additionally, Arne Aresen was awarded the Norwegian St Olav's Medal w/oak branch for his actions in saving Fjordaas).
King's Commendation: 3rd mate John Johnsen.
Ungazetted awards for unknown services approved 1944:
King's Commendation: Arne Aresen and Peder Saltnes.

Several other Norwegian ships were torpedoed in this convoy, M/T Sveve, D/T Marit II, M/S Hindanger and M/T Daghild.

Fjordaas joined the westbound Convoy ON 159 on Jan. 4-1943, serving as Escort Oiler, and was scheduled to return to the U.K. with Convoy HX 225 from New York at the end of that month, but instead joined the next convoy, HX 226, leaving New York on Febr. 8, arriving Liverpool on the 24th. By Apr. 6 that year she was back in New York, having arrived with Convoy ON 172* (left Liverpool on March 9 and arrived New York on the 27th), joining Convoy HX 233 which arrived Liverpool on Apr. 21, cargo of Admiralty fuel. A few days later she returned across the Atlantic with the westbound Convoy ON 181, which left Liverpool on Apr. 30-1943 and arrived New York on May 18, and already the next day, on May 19 she's listed in Convoy HX 240 from New York to the U.K. Her destination is given as Scapa, station 33.

HX 240, mentioned above, had arrived Liverpool on June 4-1943. Fjordaas headed back to the U.S. again later that month with Convoy ON 190*, and on July 15-1943 she joined Convoy HX 248 from New York, but returned to port and subsequently sailed in the next convoy, HX 249, station 92. (No reason is given for why she returned to New York when in HX 248, but the Commodore's report mentions a collision taking place, without naming the ships involved. Perhaps Fjordaas was one of the ships in this collision, and received some damages? This report is available through my page about this convoy). She went back across the Atlantic in Aug.-1943 with the westbound Convoy ON 196*, and at the end of that month we find her in station 43 of Convoy HX 254 from New York - her destination is given as Scapa. Towards the end of Sept.-1943 she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 204*, and must have gone back to the U.K.* because at the end of Nov.-1943 she shows up in the westbound Convoy ON 212, acting as escort oiler, destination New York. As can be seen, the only other Norwegian ships in this convoy, apart from the escorting Eglantine, Rose and Potentilla, were Vav, Villanger and Spinanger.

* In fact, an external site has her in Convoy HX 262, which left New York on Oct. 18-1943 and arrived Liverpool on Nov. 2. This convoy is not available on my own site.

Fjordaas was scheduled for Convoy HX 274 from New York in Jan.-1944, but instead joined the next convoy, HX 275, though returned to port, and her name does not show up again until Convoy HX 278 on Febr. 5. In March she joined the westbound Convoy ON 229*, returning to the U.K. the following month with Convoy HX 287. Wasting no time, she then joined the westbound Convoy ON 236* in May, and in June she went back to the U.K. with Convoy HX 296 from New York, bound for Milford Haven and Portsmouth (having been cancelled from HX 294 earlier that month). In July she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 245*, returning the following month in Convoy HX 303 with 16 other Norwegian ships, namely Tanafjord, Dalfonn, Noravind, Atlantic, Sommerstad, Skotaas, Geisha, Thorhild, Petter, Stirlingville, Rena, Para, Titanian, Mui Hock, Romulus and Norse Lady, all listed on this website (see alphabet index below). She's also listed in the westbound Convoy ON 263* at the end of Oct.-1944, and in Nov. we find her in Convoy HX 321 from New York, bound for Milford Haven and Swansea, returning with the westbound Convoy ON 271* the following month.

Fjordaas also served as oiler for allied patrol vessels in the Bay of Biscay at some point of 1944, and also had on board a supply of depth charges in case escort vessels in the area were in need of them.

Early in Jan.-1945 she's listed in the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 330, her destination Devonport and Swansea. She subsequently headed back in the other direction with the westbound ON 282* at the beginning of Febr.-1945, and must have gone back to the U.K. again shortly thereafter*, because in March that year we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 292*.

* All the ON 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, please go to these convoys in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. As will be seen, several Norwegian ships sailed in them, and Fjordaas usually served as Escort Oiler. (Departure and arrival dates of these convoys are available at this external site).

* The external site already mentioned further up on this page lists Fjordaas in Convoy HX 340 (external link), leaving New York on Febr. 23-1945, arriving Liverpool on March 10 (not available on my own site). In fact, by going to this section of the same site and clicking on "Ship Search", using "Fjordaas" as keyword, several more convoys that are not mentioned in my text above will come up.

Related external links:
ON-127, 9-14 Sept 1942
U-218

Back to Fjordaas on the "Ships starting with F" page.

Arnt J. Mørland, Arendal had another Fjordaas post war, delivered in 1957, 22 088 gt. Later named Ronastar 1964 for Einar Saanum, Mandal. This ship had an explosion on board while cleaning tanks in Rotterdam on June 15-1965, with the loss of 16 men. She sank and was subsequently condemned, but was later raised and repaired, entering service as bulk carrier Condo in 1966, managed by Arnt J. Mørland, Arendal. Later names: Herwang 1972 for owners in Kristiansand, Norway, then Italian Falcone 1974 - sold for breaking up in 1983.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, and misc. (ref. My sources).