M/T Gefion
Updated Sept. 10-2011

To Gefion on the "Ships starting with G" page.

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Misc. Convoy Voyages:

For information on voyages made in between those mentioned here, please see the documents received from the National Archives of Norway and A. Hague's Voyage Record above. Follow the convoy links provided for more details; the Commodore's notes and/or narrative are also available for many of them and several Norwegian ships took part.

Her 1940 and 1941 voyages are shown on Page 1 of the archive documents. It looks like she spent quite a long time in New York in the spring of 1941. She had arrived there from Curacao on May 16, and departure is given as Aug. 26, when she proceeded to Halifax. She subsequently joined Convoy HX 148 on Sept. 4, and arrived Swansea, via Belfast Lough, on Sept. 19. With Bello, Bernhard, Daghild, Helgøy, James Hawson, Kollbjørg, Lise, Nueva Granada, Orwell, Slemmestad, Solstad, Thorsholm and Vivi, she later joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 22*. Eglantine was among the escorts for a while - see ON convoy escorts. The convoy originated in Liverpool on Oct. 2 and dispersed on the 15th, Gefion arriving New York Oct. 19, again spending a long time there.

The Norwegian version of my "Warsailor Stories" section has a story by Peder Kristoffer Langeland who served on this ship from Nov.-1941 till Sept.-1942. He confirms the ship was on charter to the U.S. Navy, and adds that they made several voyages Aruba – Halifax and Aruba – the Gulf, often in convoy north from Key West due to the increasing U-boat threat. He says that when the news of the Pearl Harbor attack was received on Dec. 7-1941, they were in New York. As already mentioned above, Gefion had arrived New York from the U.K. on Oct. 19-1941, and did not leave again until Dec. 18, with arrival Aruba Dec. 25.

Her subsequent voyages are listed on Page 2, while convoy info for some of them can be found in the Voyage Record above.

Skipping now to Nov. 11-1942, when we find her in Convoy HX 215 from New York, bound for Avonmouth, where she arrived Nov. 27. She returned across the Atlantic with Convoy ON 151*, which originated in Liverpool on Dec. 3 and arrived New York Dec. 23 and also included Atlantic, Brasil, Brimanger, Geisha (Commodore Vessel), Kaia Knudsen, Molda, Skandinavia, Stigstad and Thorshov. About a week later, she's listed in station 83 of Convoy HX 221 from New York, cargo of gasoline for Stanlow, where she arrived on Jan. 16-1943 - see Page 3. The Commodore's narrative is also available for this convoy; he was in Abraham Lincoln (Gefion is mentioned under Jan. 11).

She headed back to the U.S. on Jan. 23-1943 with Convoy ON 162, and was scheduled to return to the U.K. on Febr. 28 in Convoy HX 228 (in which Brant County was sunk - follow the links for much more info), but did not sail. As can be seen when going back to the archive document mentioned above, she appears to have spent a long time in Baltimore in this period (she had arrived there from the U.K. on Febr. 11 and did not leave until Apr. 3). She eventually got away in Convoy HX 234 from New York on Apr. 12, for which Laurits Swenson served as Commodore Vessel; the Commodore's report has been added. Gefion arrived Stanlow on Apr. 30, later joining Convoy ON 183*, which started out in Liverpool on May 10 and arrived New York on the 25th. Brimanger, Laurits Swenson (Commodore Vessel), Noreg, Santos, Tungsha, Vinga and Washington Express are also named. On May 31, we find her in station 103 of Convoy HX 242 from New York, again bound for Avonmouth, where she arrived, via Belfast Lough, on June 16.

With Brajara, California Express, Dageid, Fjordaas, Høyanger, Lynghaug, Mosli, Norefjord, Norsol, Orwell, Polartank, Skiensfjord and Tarifa, she now joined the westbound Convoy ON 190*, which originated in Liverpool on June 24 and arrived New York July 9. On the 15th of that month, she's listed in Convoy HX 248; see also the Commodore's report. The following month, she joined the westbound Convoy ON 196*, together with Athos, California Express, Fjordaas, Hardanger, Montevideo (Commodore Vessel), Mosli, Oregon Express, Roald Amundsen, Skotaas and Trondheim (from Liverpool Aug. 8, to New York Aug. 21), heading back to the U.K. on Aug. 27 in Convoy HX 254. Her destination is again given as Stanlow, and she had station 94 of the convoy (see also Page 3). Her last Trans-Atlantic voyage that year (and for a long time thereafter) was made in Convoy ON 203*, departing Liverpool on Sept. 22, arriving New York Oct. 9. She had again been in the company of several other Norwegian ships, namely California Express, Dageid, Duala, Lista, Norholm, Polartank, Skaraas, Trondheim, Vav and Vinga, as well as the Panamanian Norlys, which had Norwegian managers and is included under the N's on this site.

From New York, she proceeded to Curacao on Oct. 30 - Page 4 and the Voyage Record above have details on her subsequent voyages.

In Nov.-1944, she was 1 of 3 Norwegian ships in Convoy HX 320; the others were Anna Knudsen and Dalfonn. Gefion, acting as Escort Oiler, was bound for Stanlow with petroleum products, arriving there on Dec. 1/2. Just a couple of days later, she embarked on her return voyage across the ocean with Convoy ON 270, and was scheduled to go back to the U.K. with Convoy HX 328 from New York on Christmas Eve (Commodore in Brimanger), but instead joined the next convoy on Dec. 29, HX 329, for which Emma Bakke served as Commodore Vessel. Gefion was bound for Avonmouth, where she arrived Jan. 12-1945 (again having served as Escort Oiler, according to A. Hague).

She returned to the U.S. later that month with Convoy ON 279, arriving New York on Febr. 5-1945 (having served as Escort Oiler), then on Febr. 23, she's listed in Convoy HX 340*, but returned to port that same day (Page 5), subsequently joining HX 341* on Febr. 28, cargo of petrol (Escort Oiler), arriving Avonmouth on March 15. Both these convoys also had other Norwegian ships, namely California Express, Fagerfjell, Ferncourt, Fjordaas, Ivaran, Kaldfonn and Tungsha (Commodore Vessel) in HX 340, while Belinda, Egda, Fernmoor and Fosna are named in HX 341. Together with Egerø, Fjordaas, Fosna, Havfru, Ivaran (Commodore Vessel), Lista, Norsol and President de Vogue, we now find Gefion in the westbound Convoy ON 292*, which started out at Southend on March 22 and arrived New York Apr. 8, then on Apr. 13, she joined Convoy HX 350* (Escort Oiler), again with Egerø, Fosna, Havfru and President de Vogue in company, as well as Haakon Hauan and Thorshov. Gefion arrived Avonmouth Apr. 28.

Her last westbound convoy voyage of the war was made as Escort Oiler for Convoy ON 300*, along with Carl Oftedal, Fosna, Heranger (Commodore Vessel), John Bakke and Viggo Hansteen. (A. Hague has also included Narvik, but this does not fit in with her voyages for this period. In fact, the ship in this convoy was the Polish Narwik, ex Empire Roamer - see this external page). ON 300 sailed from Liverpool on May 2 and arrived New York May 18; in other words, VE Day was celebrated at sea. Just a few days later, on May 23, she headed back to the U.K. in Convoy HX 358* (Escort Oiler), and arrived Avonmouth on June 6. Ferncourt, Fosna and Tungsha are also listed. (This was the last HX convoy of the war; the last convoy in the ON series was ON 305*, May 26).

Page 5 also shows some of her early 1946 voyages, as does Page 6.

POST WAR:

According to this external page, she was owned from Febr.-1955 by Comp. Siciliana Navi Cisterna Spa., Palermo, Italy, renamed Pleiade. Sold in July-1962 to Italian breakers.

Back to Gefion on the "Ships starting with G" page.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: Roger W. Jordan - and misc.