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D/S Jernfjeld To Jernfjeld on the "Ships starting with J" page. Manager: Harald Grieg Martens, Bergen Built in Krimpen ann de Ijsel, Holland in 1917. Previous name Troldtind. Captain: Leif V. Christiansen. (2nd mate from Dec.-1940 to Febr.-1941 was Ole J. Abrahamsen - see this external page). Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
(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.
For info, I found the following under Saturday, Febr. 3-1940 in a diary for the northeast of England (both these links are external, and go to a site by Roy Ripley and Brian Pears - see also Tempo):
In July-1941, we find her in station 56 of Convoy OS 1. This was a Freetown bound convoy, which left Liverpool on July 24 and arrived Freetown Aug. 10, but Jernfjeld was only bound for Glasgow; she arrived Clyde on July 25, according to Page 2 - a direct link to A. Hague's listing for this convoy has been provided in the table above; Anna Knudsen, Emma Bakke, Erviken and G. C. Bøvig are also named. With destination Iceland, Jernfjeld later joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 12, which originated in Liverpool on Sept. 1. Jernfjeld sailed from Loch Ewe on Sept. 3 and arrived Reykjavik on the 8th, having detached from the convoy the day before. Going back to the archive document, we see that she returned to the U.K. the following month and in Nov.-1941, she can be found in station 14 of the westbound Convoy ON 35, again bound for Iceland, where she arrived on Nov. 15. According to the Commodore's notes, she had left the convoy at 17:00 on Nov. 13 with escort Thirlmere, 60 23N 14 21W. Both these convoys also had other Norwegian ships, as will be seen when following the links. (The Commodore's narrative is also available for ON 35). Jernfjeld's voyages in this period are shown on Page 3; she headed back to the U.K. on Dec. 16, arriving Loch Ewe on the 20th. Her 1942 voyages also start on this document. She made another voyage to Iceland at the beginning of Febr.-1942, having sailed in Convoy UR 11, and is said to have returned to Loch Ewe with a convoy that has been given the designation QP 7A, departing Seidisfjord on Febr. 25, arriving Loch Ewe on the 28th (links in Voyage Record). This convoy is not included in "Convoys to Russia" by Arnold Hague and Bob Ruegg. QP 7 is included, however. It originated at Murmansk on Febr. 12 and dispersed on the 15th, the ships in it arriving Seidisfjord by Febr. 22; in fact, it consisted of the same ships as those named in QP 7A, except Jernfjeld, so it's possible they later proceeded to the U.K. in a convoy with this designation. Her 1942 voyages continue on Page 4 and Page 5. She was at Falmouth on Aug. 29-1942 when German bombers attacked. One of the bombs fell so close by that she sprang a leak. She was beached, then towed to dock a couple of days later and repaired. According to Page 5, she did not leave again until Oct. 17. Her 1943 voyages start on Page 6, continuing on Page 7 and Page 8. The Memorial for Seamen in Stavern, Norway, says she lost a crew member on Sept. 30-1943, namely Able Seaman Trygve Løberg, who is said to have died at sea on that date, following an accident on board - ref. external link at the end of this page. "Våre falne", a series of 4 books naming Norwegians who lost their lives in WW II, says he drowned that day, shortly after departure London. From Page 8, we learn that Jernfjeld had arrived Gravesend on Sept. 29 (departure is given as Oct. 9, but it's possible some movements are missing). Her Dec.-1943 voyages are listed on Page 9, which also holds some of her early 1944 voyages. She was used as supply ship for the invasion of Normandy (Overlord), arriving Omaha Beach on June 11-1944, departing again on July 8, according to "Nortraships flåte" by J. R. Hegland. Hegland adds that the reason for this long stay was the fact that a storm had caused a flash flood, resulting in Jernfjeld and several other ships drifting so far up on the beach that there was not enough water beneath them to enable them to go out at high tide. Bulldozers dug a channel in the sand so that she was finally able to get out. Page 10 and Page 11 have more 1944 voyages (some early 1945 voyages are also shown on the latter document). On VE Day, she was in Antwerp, having arrived there from Southend on May 7-1945 with Convoy TAM 160, according to A. Hague (together with Martin Bakke), departing again on May 10 with Convoy ATM 150, with arrival Southend the next day - see also Page 12. Her 1945 voyages continue on Page 13, while Page 14 has the rest (up to and including Apr.-1946).
Owned from 1946 by San Jeronimo Steamship Co. (Wallem & Co.), Panama, renamed San Jeronimo. From 1951, Wallem & Co. Ltd., Panama, no name change. From 1952, Jeronimo S.S. Co. S.A. (J. Manners & Co. Ltd. ), Panama, same name. From 1956, Jeronimo S.S. Co. S.A., Panama, then from 1957 as Greenhill for Panamanian Oriental S.S. Corp. (Wheelock, Marden & Co. Ltd.), Panama. Sold that same year to Chong Lee, Singapore to be broken up in Oct.-1957. Related external links: Omaha Beach - includes several Maps Back to Jernfjeld on the "Ships starting with J" page. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, and misc. other as named within the above text.
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