M/S Heranger - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Captain (according to the Guestbook message below): Omsund Johannessen (from the time she left the yard).

Related items on this website:
Guestbook message from the grandson of Captain Omsund Johannessen. He says his grandfather wrote down everything that happened to Heranger during the war, and this has been handed over to the Maritime Museum in Bergen.
Another message from someone who would like to get in touch with people who served on Heranger in 1956-1957.

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

Misc. Convoy Voyages:

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

Heranger was en route from Rotterdam and Antwerp to Los Angeles (via Cristobal) when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940 - see Page 1. With a general cargo for Liverpool, she's listed in Convoy HX 51 in June that year, joining the convoy from Bermuda, having left Bermuda on June 16. She arrived Liverpool on July 1, subsequently spending some time in Garston, and later that month, she can be found in Convoy OB 186, together with Annavore and Augvald. This convoy departed Liverpool on July 20 and dispersed July 22, Heranger arriving Cristobal Aug. 7, continuing to Los Angeles the next day - ref. external link provided within the table above. In Oct.-1940, she sailed in the Bermuda portion of Convoy HX 80, bound for Liverpool with general and lumber, arriving her destination on Oct. 27, spending almost a month there before joining Convoy OB 249, leaving Liverpool on Nov. 24, dispersed 4 days later. Her destination is given as San Pedro, station 63; according to the archive document, she arrived Cristobal on Dec. 15, proceeding to Los Angeles the next day, then on to Vancouver. Again, see the external link within the Voyage Record above; Dagfred, Hallfried, Høegh Scout, Salamis, Solfonn and Varangberg (returned) are also listed.

With a general cargo, lumber and 5 bombers for Belfast and Liverpool, she headed back across the Atlantic again on March 11-1941 in Convoy HX 114 from Halifax (Hidlefjord was sunk and Kaia Knudsen damaged - follow the links for more details). The following month, she's said to have made an independent voyage back to Cristobal (according to A. Hague), where she arrived May 9, proceeding to Los Angeles 2 days later. In July that year, she can be found in Convoy HX 138, bound for Mersey with general cargo, returning with Convoy ON 8 on Aug. 16; her destination is given as Panama - according to Page 2, she arrived Kingston, Jamaica on Sept. 4, continuing to Cristobal that same day, then again on to Los Angeles. On Nov. 15, she sailed back to the U.K. in Convoy HX 160 from Halifax (Montbretia is named among the escorts), then joined the westbound Convoy ON 48*, which left Liverpool on Dec. 19 and dispersed on the 31st, Heranger arriving Bermuda at an unknown date. Her destination is given as Vancouver, and she later arrived there, via Cristobal and Los Angeles, on Jan. 26-1942.

In Apr.-1942, she's listed among the ships in Convoy HX 183 from Halifax, with 4 bombers on her after deck and crated planes on her foredeck, and at the beginning of May, we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 91*, departing Liverpool on May 1, dispersed May 15, Heranger arriving New York on May 17. With 2 bombers on her deck, she headed back to Liverpool on May 31 in Convoy HX 192 from Halifax, and in July, she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 109*, which left Liverpool on July 3 and arrived Halifax on the 18th; Heranger, however, was bound for New York again, arriving there on July 16 - her voyages in this period are shown on Page 3. On Aug. 9, she joined Convoy HX 202 from Halifax, general cargo for Mersey. This convoy arrived Liverpool on Aug. 21, and Heranger subsequently returned to New York with Convoy ON 127 - see also Hague's listing for the names of other ships in ON 127, which left Liverpool on Sept. 4 and arrived New York Sept. 20. The company's Hindanger was torpedoed on Sept. 11 (this ship had also previously arrived U.K. with HX 202). M/T Sveve was also sunk in this convoy; see also M/T Fjordaas, M/T Daghild and D/T Marit II. The Commodore for the previous convoy, ON 126 (Commodore was in Rena), says in his notes for Sept. 16, "The Norwegian Hestranger ex ON 127 joined. She left her convoy after 2 days of U-boat attack". There was no Norwegian ship by this name, but this might have been Heranger? In other words, she may have arrived New York with ON 126, instead of ON 127.

She later joined Convoy HX 211 from New York on Oct. 8 in order to return to Liverpool. According to the Commodore's notes for this convoy, she lost touch during a gale at noon on Oct. 18 in 53 16N 24 23W, but later rejoined. She arrived Liverpool on Oct. 24, remaining there for about a month before proceeding to Clyde and from there, she headed to Gibraltar in Convoy KMS 4 on Nov. 26, arriving Gibraltar on Dec. 8. By then the Allied invasion of North and West Africa had taken place (Operation Torch, Nov. 8).

"Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, says she was unloading cargo in Algiers on Jan. 11-1943; according to A. Hague, she had arrived there from Gibraltar in Convoy KMF 6 on Jan. 3 - see Voyage Record above. While there, the gunners were on a 24 hr duty to prevent sabotage attempts from possible agents on shore. She was still there in the evening of Jan. 15 when Algiers was attacked by aircraft and took part in the defense with her Bofors and 12 lb guns. She departed Algiers on the 18th, then took on board ballast at Nemours the next day. Though the air raid sirens were sounded while there, no attack followed. Hegland says that she continued to Oran on Jan. 25 escorted by an armed British trawler, then joined a convoy to Gibraltar, before continuing north in that convoy (Convoy MKS 7). Around midnight the convoy lost 3 ships to a minefield laid off Gibraltar by a U-boat the week before (follow the link to this convoy for more details). Heranger arrived Glasgow on Febr. 17 (Page 3).

She now headed back to New York again, having joined Convoy ON 168*, which originated in Liverpool on Febr. 21-1943 and dispersed March 12. Heranger started out from Clyde on Febr. 21 and arrived New York March 15. According to A. Hague, she returned in Convoy HX 232* from New York on Apr. 1, arriving Liverpool on the 16th, then at the end of that month, she joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 181, her destination New York, with arrival May 17. The Commodore's narrative and escort's report are also available for this convoy. With a general cargo for Liverpool, she went in the other direction again in Convoy HX 242, which left New York on May 31 and arrived Liverpool on June 15, later heading back to New York in Convoy ON 191*, departing Liverpool July 1, arriving New York July 15. She was scheduled for Convoy HX 251 from New York to the U.K. on Aug. 7 (Commodore in Laurits Swenson - Acanthus, Potentilla and Rose are named among the escorts - see HX convoy escorts), but instead joined the next convoy on Aug. 14, HX 252, general cargo for Swansea, station 111, arriving Swansea on Aug. 29 (the Norwegian Santos was lost - follow the link for details). See also the Commodore's narrative, misc. collision reports, and Flag Officer Newfoundland report.

The following month, Heranger can be found in the westbound Convoy ON 201*, which originated in Liverpool on Sept. 9 (Heranger sailed from Milford Haven that day) and arrived New York Sept. 24, and on Oct. 5, she's listed in the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 260*, which arrived Liverpool on Oct. 20. She subsequently returned to New York, having sailed in Convoy ON 210*; her departure Liverpool is given as Nov. 7, arrived New York on the 22nd (Commodore was in California Express). Her last Trans-Atlantic voyage that year was made in Convoy HX 270*, which left New York on Dec. 10 and arrived Liverpool on the 26th - again, see also Page 3. This time, Elisabeth Bakke had served as the Commodore Vessel.

The new year started with another Trans-Atlantic voyage, Convoy ON 219*, departing Liverpool on Jan. 8-1944, arriving New York Jan. 27 (Commodore was again in Elisabeth Bakke). On Febr. 20, we find her in Convoy HX 280 from New York, bound for London and carrying a general cargo and explosives - her voyages in this period are shown on Page 4. She's also named in the westbound Convoy ON 231* along with 14 other Norwegian ships, namely Bernhard, Ferncourt, Haakon Hauan, Spinanger, Vav, Solstad, Idefjord, President de Vogue, Østhav, Kong Haakon VII, Thorsholm, Skaraas, Høyanger and Nordanger. This convoy departed Liverpool on Apr. 7 and arrived New York on the 24th (Heranger joined from Loch Ewe). With a general cargo for Liverpool, she headed back across the ocean on May 10 with Convoy HX 291, which included Vav, Høyanger (Vice Commodore ship), O. B. Sørensen, Para, Villanger, Stirlingville, Minerva, Velox, and others - follow the link for more info. The convoy arrived Liverpool on May 27, and a couple of weeks later, she joined the westbound Convoy ON 240*, leaving Liverpool on June 10, arriving New York June 28 (Vice Commodore in Høyanger).

The following month, she's listed in Convoy HX 299 from New York, for which Laurits Swenson acted as Commodore Ship, while Høyanger again served as the Vice Commodore's ship. Heranger was bound for Glasgow with general cargo, arriving there on July 24, later returning to New York with Convoy ON 247*, which originated in Liverpool on Aug. 2. Heranger joined from Clyde and arrived New York Aug. 16. With a general cargo for London, she can now be found in Convoy HX 306 from New York on Aug. 31, later joining the westbound Convoy ON 257*, which originated in Liverpool on Oct. 2 and arrived New York Oct. 18. She's also listed in Convoy HX 318 from New York the following month, bound for Liverpool with general cargo and frozen goods. She had time for one more Trans-Atlantic voyage before that year was over, and this was made in Convoy ON 269*, departing Liverpool on Nov. 29, arriving New York Dec. 15.

She was scheduled for the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 333 on Jan. 18-1945, but instead joined the next convoy on Jan. 23, HX 334, for which Samuel Bakke served as Commodore Vessel (Acanthus was among the escorts for a while). Heranger had a general cargo and explosives for Hull, where she arrived Febr. 9 (Page 4). In March, she sailed in the westbound Convoy ON 288* with Villanger, Viggo Hansteen, Tanafjord, Slemmestad, G. C. Brøvig, Dageid, Polartank and Harald Torsvik . "Nortraships flåte" has also added Høyanger, but A. Hague has this ship in the next convoy, ON 289*. ON 288 departed Southend on March 2 and arrived New York on March 19. The Norwegian commodore, R. G. Bruusgaard was in the British Port Fremantle. A. Hague now has Heranger in Convoy HX 348*, departing New York on Apr. 3, arriving Liverpool Apr. 20, and in May, she made a voyage to Montreal, having sailed from Liverpool on May 2 in Convoy ON 300*; in other words, VE Day was celebrated at sea. She arrived Montreal on May 17, having detached from the convoy on the 13th. In fact, Heranger had served as Commodore Vessel on that occasion.

As will be seen when going to Page 5 of the archive documents, Heranger got to go home to Norway already in June-1945.

* The ON convoys 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. The entire HX series will also be updated and completed, but for now, please see ships in all HX convoys. Escorts for them are named on this page. As will be seen, all these covoys had several Norwegian ships.

For more information on the other Norwegian ships mentioned on this page, please see the alphabet index below, or go to the Master Ship Index.

POST WAR:

Sold in July-1959 to Societe Monegasque de Transports Maritimes, Monaco, renamed St. Charles. Broken up in La Spezia in 1963.

Back to Heranger on the "Ships starting with H" page.