D/S Gun - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

D/S Gun
Updated Sept. 27-2011

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

Both pics were received from Tore Setså, Norway.

Manager: Sig. Gulbrandsen, Oslo
Tonnage: 670 gt

Built in 1918. Previous names: Elgen, Siggen, Eina, Soltind, Belize?

Some Confusion re Management/Ownership:

According to "Våre gamle skip" by Leif M. Bjørkelund and E. H. Kongshavn, she was delivered in Oct.-1918 from N. V. Werf Zeeland, Hansweert as Elgen to T. J. Wiborg & Sønn, Christiania (Oslo today). 670 gt, 351 net, 970 tdwt, 179.2' x 30.1' x 12.6', Triple exp. 127 nhp - S & v.d. Dongen. (I'm not sure who owned her when she had the names Eina, Soltind and Belize, nor do I know if these names are correct). From 1934 she sailed as Gun for August Kjerland, Bergen. Further history below.

According to British sources this vessel was managed by W. A. Wilson, Southampton during the war, but a posting on my Ship Forum says that Norwegian sources (including Norske Veritas register and "Nortraships flåte") state she was owned/managed by Holter-Sørensen in 1940. "Våre gamle skip", however, says she was managed by Holter-Sørensen from 1946 (Sig. Gulbrandsen before that).

One of the responses to a query I posted on my Ship Forum, states the following:
(Posted by Roger W Jordan; his sources: Lloyd's Confidential Index June 1939, Lloyd's Shipping Index, various issues 1939-48; Lloyd's Register 1937, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1945, 1948)
1934 Acquired by August Kjerland; previous name Siggen
1937 Transferred to D/S A/S Ask (manager August Kjerland)
1940 Sold to Skibs A/S Primo (manager Sig Gulbrandsen, Thomas Heftyesgt 39, Oslo)
1940 Under British control and during war years managed by William A Wilson, Southampton (Gun retained Norwegian flag and crew, as late as November 1945 vessel was still managed by Wilson on behalf of the Ministry of Transport)
1946 Ship and owning company transferred to Holter-Sørensen management (not renamed).

According to Lloyd's Register, Holter Sørensen did not "buy" the ship until 1946 and Primo was a Gulbrandsen-managed company up until then.

Please compare the above voyages with Arnold Hague's Voyage Record below.

Voyage Record
From Febr.-1940 to March-1945:

(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 as can be seen, the record is incomplete.

	Departure	From	To	Arrival	Convoy	Remarks
1940	Febr. 23	Methil	Norwegian Waters	Febr. 27	ON 15	–
	March 30	Norwegian Waters	Methil	Apr. 3	HN 23A	Missing movements, Page 1
*	June 3	Blyth	Southend	June 5	FS 187	Convoy available at FS convoys (external link) *Page 1 gives departure Blyth June 5, arrival Portsmouth June 8 (also, missing movements).
	June 14	Southend	Goole	June 16	FN 195B	Convoy available at FN convoys (external link) Missing voyages: Page 1 above
	July 27	Tyne	Southend	July 29	FS 234	Convoy available at FS convoys (external link)
	Aug. 9	Southend	Methil	Aug. 11	FN 247	Convoy available at FN convoys (external link) Missing 1940 voyages: Page 2
	Her 1941 voyages also start on Page 2 and continue on Page 3, Page 4 and Page 5. The latter document also shows some early 1942 voyages, while the rest are listed on Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9 and Page 10. Her 1943 movements also start on Page 10, others can be found on Page 11, Page 12 and Page 13.
1944	June 2	Barry	St Helens Roads	–	EBC 1	Earlier 1944 voyages: Page 13 above & Page 14. Convoy available at EBC convoys (external link)
	The majority of these 1944 voyages are not detailed on the archive document(s) and, therefore, comparison cannot be made and accuracy confirmed.
	June 8	Solent	Seine Bay	June 9	EBC 3W	Convoy available at link above
	June 16	Seine Bay	Solent	June 17	FBC 5	Convoy available at FBC convoys (external link)
	June 24	Falmouth	Seine Bay	June 25	EBC 20	Convoy available at EBC convoys (external link)
	July 4	Barry	Seine Bay	July 6	EBC 31	Convoy available at link above
	July 9	Seine Bay	Fowey	July 20*	FBC 23	Convoy available at FBC convoys (external link) Arrived Fowey July 11 (Page 14*)
	July 16	Solent	Seine Bay	July 16	EBC 41	Convoy available at EBC convoys (external link)
	July 19	Seine Bay	Fowey	July 20	FBC 31	Convoy available at FBC convoys (external link)
	July 23	Fowey	Seine Bay	July 24	EBC 49	Convoy available at EBC convoys (external link)
	Aug. 5	Seine Bay	Fowey	Aug. 6	FBC 45	Convoy available at FBC convoys (external link)
	Aug. 10	Fowey	Seine Bay	Aug. 11	EBC 67	Convoy available at EBC convoys (external link)
	Aug. 19	Seine Bay	Fowey	Aug. 20	FBC 59	Convoy available at FBC convoys (external link) Missing 1944 voyages: Page 15 & Page 16
1945	Jan. 15	Southend	Antwerp	Jan. 16	TAM 50	Earlier 1945 movements: Page 16 above. Convoy available at TAM convoys (external link) Missing voyages, Page 16.
	March 27	Antwerp	Southend	March 28	ATM 106	Convoy available at ATM convoys (external link) Subsequent voyages: Page 16, Page 17, Page 18 and Page 19

Notes:

A. Hague has included Gun in the U.K.-Norway Convoy ON 15 in Febr.-1940. At the end of the following month, she's listed in the original Advance Sailing Telegram for Convoy HN 23A from Norway to the U.K., bound for Tyne in ballast, thereby ending up in allied service (the Germans invaded Norway on Apr. 9). Please follow the links for more info; several Norwegian ships took part in both these convoys. Gun arrived Tyne on Apr. 4, having sailed from Bergen on March 30 - see Page 1 of the archive documents.

She took part in the Normandie operations in June-1944, arriving Utah Beach on June 22, according to "Nortraships flåte" (this does not quite match up with the info found on Page 14).

In Jan.-1945, A. Hague has her in Convoy TAM 50, which left Southend on Jan. 15 and arrived Antwerp on the 16th; Gun arrived Ostend that day, having started out from The Downs that same day - see Page 16. In March we find her, together with the Norwegian Avance I, in Convoy ATM 106, which left Antwerp on March 27 and arrived Southend March 28. See the external links provided within the Voyage Record.

She did not get to go home to Norway until Apr.-1946 - see Page 19.

POST WAR

(as per "Våre gamle skip):

Managed by Holter-Sørensen & Co. from 1946, then by Bakkevig & Omdahl from 1952. Transferred to Thomas R. Omdahl, Haugesund in 1954, then sold back to Oslo that same year. From 1956 she sailed as Lista of Copenhagen, then as Lena from 1956, registered in Panama.

Related external link:
Utah Beach