D/S Henrik Ibsen
Updated Oct. 15-2011

To Henrik Ibsen on the "Ships starting with H" page.

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As will be seen when going to Page 1 of the documents received from the Norwegian archives, Henrik Ibsen was on her way from Rosario to Santos when Norway was invaded by the Germans on Apr. 9-1940.

Later that year she can be found in Convoy SLS 46, which departed Freetown for the U.K. on Sept. 1-1940 and dispersed on the 13th. Henrik Ibsen joined the convoy at sea, having left St. Vincent, C.V. on Sept. 4, cargo of iron ore. The Norwegian Rinda is also listed, while Drammensfjord is said to have been scheduled but did not sail (ref. link provided in the Voyage Record). At the beginning of Nov.-1940, Henrik Ibsen is said to have joined Convoy OB 239, which originated in Liverpool on Nov. 4, but the convoy returned to Oban on the 8th. Einar Jarl (returned) Hada County and Velox are also named. A. Hague subsequently has her in a convoy that has been given the desgination OB 239/1, which left Oban on Nov. 10 and dispersed on the 14th, but it'll be noticed, when following the link in the Voyage Record, that no ships are listed for this convoy - my guess is that it consisted of the same ships as those in OB 239(?). Going back to Page 1, we see that Henrik Ibsen had sailed from Clyde on Nov. 9, but put back to Clyde on the 12th, remaining there for quite a long time. With Akabahra, Inger Elisabeth, Ledaal, Mathilda, Rolf Jarl, Sandanger and Selbo, she later joined Convoy OB 256, originating in Liverpool on Dec. 8, dispersed on the 12th (link in the table above). Her destination is given as Cape Town, where she arrived Jan. 18-1941, having sailed from Clyde on Dec. 9.

In March-1941, we find her, along with Harpefjell, Innerøy and Solfonn, in Convoy SL 67 (slow section), departing Freetown on March 1, arriving Liverpool March 26; Henrik Ibsen, cargo of iron ore, stopped at Oban the day before (this convoy lost several ships, see the external link at the end of this page). The following month, she's listed as bound for Melilla in Convoy OG 60 (convoy originated in Liverpool Apr. 26, arrived Gibraltar May 10 - see ships in all OG convoys). She arrived Melilla on May 11 (Page 1), and was scheduled to return with the Gibraltar-U.K. Convoy HG 62 on May 14, but instead joined the next convoy on May 25, HG 63. She was bound for Immingham with iron ore at the time, sailing in station 12.

Together with Arosa, Evviva, Fanefjeld, Ferncourt (bombed - follow link for info), Grado, Idefjord, Måkefjell, Nesttun, Slemdal, Spurt, Star, Suderholm and Taborfjell, A. Hague has also included Henrik Ibsen in Convoy OB 343, originating in Liverpool on July 6-1941, dispersed July 21 (link in Voyage Record). Her destination is given as Sydney, C.B., where she arrived July 22, having started out from Loch Ewe on the 8th. Her voyages in this period are shown on Page 2. With a cargo of steel, she returned to the U.K. with Convoy SC 40*, which left Sydney, C.B. on Aug. 10 and arrived Liverpool on the 29th (Henrik Ibsen stopped at Belfast Lough that day). The following month, we find her in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 16; she arrived Tampa on Oct. 13, having started out from Milford Haven on Sept. 12. Early in Nov.-1941, she's listed, with a cargo of phosphates for London, in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 53.

At the end of Jan.-1942, she headed for New York, joining Convoy ON 60*, which originated in Liverpool on Jan. 26 and arrived Halifax Febr. 15; Henrik Ibsen sailed from Loch Ewe on Jan. 26 and arrived her destination on Febr. 19, returning to the U.K. with Convoy SC 75 from Halifax on March 18, general cargo for Newport, where she arrived, via Belfast Lough, on Apr. 5. She subsequently joined the westbound Convoy ON 88*, originating in Liverpool on Apr. 21. Henrik Ibsen started out from Milford Haven on the 20th and arrived Halifax on May 6. In June that year, she's listed in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 87, cargo of steel and pulp for Manchester - according to Page 3, she arrived Ellesmere Port on June 26. She now returned across the Atlantic with Convoy ON 110*, departing Liverpool July 6. She was again bound for New York, and arrived there on July 27. With a cargo of steel and general, she joined Convoy SC 97 from Halifax on Aug. 22, but returned to port with collision damage (this is the convoy in which Bronxville was sunk - Bonneville served as Vice Commodore Ship). She subsequently joined the next convoy, SC 98, which left Halifax on Aug. 29, but again had to return to port, putting into Sydney, C.B., and from there, she later joined Convoy SC 99. She arrived Liverpool on Sept. 20, and the following month she shows up in the westbound Convoy ON 138*, departing Liverpool on Oct. 11, arriving New York Nov. 3 (Commodore in Evanger). Her last Trans-Atlantic convoy voyage that year was made in Convoy SC 113*, which left New York on Dec. 12. Henrik Ibsen arrived Loch Ewe on Jan. 1-1943.

She crossed the ocean again in March-1943, having joined Convoy ON 171*, originating in Liverpool March 4 (Henrik Ibsen left Loch Ewe that day), arriving Halifax on the 23rd. From there, she proceeded to Boston, where she according to Page 3 spent several weeks, before returning to the U.K. in May in Convoy SC 130 from Halifax. She now appears to have spent quite a long time in Immingham that summer. She had arrived there from Hull on June 9 and did not leave again until Aug. 13, later joining the westbound Convoy ONS 16*, which sailed from Liverpool on Aug. 19 and arrived Halifax Sept. 1; Henrik Ibsen had started out from Oban on Aug. 20. On Sept. 15, she headed back to the U.K. in station 22 of Convoy SC 142, bound for London with grain, and the following month, she took part in Convoy ONS 21*, originating in Liverpool on Oct. 22, arriving Halifax Nov 5; she had again started out from Oban (Oct. 23) and was bound for Sydney, C.B., where she arrived Nov. 4. One more Atlantic crossing was made before that year was over, and this was made in Convoy SC 149, leaving Halifax on Dec. 15, cargo of lumber for London, station 32 - Page 4 has her voyages for this period.

In Febr.-1944, she's listed in the westbound Convoy ONS 30*, which left Liverpool on Febr. 27 and arrived Halifax March 13; Henrik Ibsen arrived St. John, N.B. on March 15, having departed Oban on Febr. 28. With steel, logs and pit props for Tyne, she later joined the slow Convoy SC 157 from Halifax on Apr. 17. In June, we find her among the ships in the westbound Convoy ON 239*, which originated in Liverpool on June 3 and arrived New York on the 22nd; Henrik Ibsen, however, started out from Loch Ewe on the 3rd and arrived Sorel June 20, having detached from the convoy 2 days before, according to A. Hague. In July, she's listed in the Sydney, C.B. portion of the large New York-U.K. Convoy HX 300, bound for Ipswich with a cargo of grain. She arrived Ipswich on Aug. 9, heading back across the Atlantic in Convoy ON 251*, which originated in Liverpool on Sept. 1 (Commodore in Tungsha); Henrik Ibsen sailed from Loch Ewe that day and from Page 5 we learn that she arrived Sorel on Sept. 18, later proceeding to Quebec. The following month, she shows up in the slow Convoy SC 158, cargo of grain for Avonmouth. This convoy originated in Halifax on Oct. 4, but Henrik Ibsen again joined with the Sydney, C.B. portion and arrived her destination on Oct. 20. She later sailed to Halifax with Convoy ONS 36*, which started out in Liverpool on Nov. 13 and arrived Halifax Dec. 3 (she joined this convoy from Belfast Lough - Commodore was in Geisha). On Dec. 17, she's included in Convoy SC 163 from Halifax, general cargo for Manchester, where she arrived Jan. 5-1945, according to the archive document mentioned above.

She headed back to Halifax again on Febr. 13-1945, Convoy ONS 42*, arriving Halifax March 5, and later that month, A. Hague has her, with a cargo of grain, in Convoy SC 171*, departing Halifax on March 27. Her last convoy voyage of the war was made in Convoy ONS 49*, which originated in Liverpool on May 2 and arrived Halifax May 18; in other words, VE Day was celebrated at sea. From Halifax, she proceeded to Pugwash and Pictou, N.S. a few days later - see Page 6. From this document, we also learn that she left Methil on Jan. 12-1946 in order to sail to Oslo, Norway.

Back to Henrik Ibsen on the "Ships starting with H" page.

Norway had previously had another ship by this name, built in 1878 for owners in Bergen, 850 gt. Found drifting without crew on Dec. 2-1916, voyage Fredrikstad-Leith, condemned.