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D/S Komet To Komet on the "Ships starting with K" page. Manager: H. Tangvald-Pedersen, Porsgrunn Delivered in Aug.-1912 from Laxevaags Maskin- & Jernskibsbyggeri, Bergen as Pluto to B. Stolt-Nielsen e.a., Haugesund. 229.3' x 35.2' x 15.9', Triple exp. 123 nhp (Laxevaag). Transferred in July-1916 to D/S A/S Pluto (same managers). Taken as prize on Nov. 3-1916 in the North Sea by UB-21 and used as transport vessel by the German Army. Taken as French prize in March-1917. From 1920 she sailed as Charles Schiaffino of Algeria, from 1923 as Komet of Christiania (Oslo), from July-1935 she belonged to H. Tangvald-Pedersen, Porsgrunn. The external page that I've linked to above has a more detailed history description. Captain: Adler Røstad. Her voyages are listed on this original document received from the National Archives of Norway. Please compare the above voyages with Arnold Hague's Voyage Record below.
(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database). Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each.
A. Hague has included Komet in Convoy HN 8 from Norway to the U.K. in Jan.-1940. Early in March, he has her in the U.K.-Norway Convoy ON 17A. Follow the links for more details; several Norwegian ships are listed in both these convoys. She must have gotten out of Norway somehow, because she was later in allied control. Judging from the information on the archive document, she was at Tyne when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9, having arrived there from Rouen on Apr. 7, returning to Rouen later that month. With Asgerd and Snar, she's listed in Convoy FS 156, which left Tyne on Apr. 26 and arrived Southend 2 days later; Komet arrived Rouen on the 29th. According to the external website that I've linked to below, she was scheduled for Convoy OA 157, which left Southend on May 28-1940, but she did not sail - her destination is given as Nantes. It does look like she made a voyage to France and back to the U.K. in this period, but arrival/departure France is not given on the archive document. The following month, we find her in Convoy FS 189, which left Tyne on June 6 and arrived Southend on the 8th. Bjørnvik is also included. From the archive document, we learn that Komet started out from Sunderland on June 6 and was bound for Caen, but arrival there is not given. Related external link:
While in France, she got caught up in the evacuations; she left Caen again on June 17 for Grangemouth with a part cargo of ammunition, but was attacked and sunk by German aircraft just off the coast. She was attacked twice, the first time by 3 aircraft at 16:00 when about 25 miles off the shore. In addition to firing with machine guns, 3 bombs were dropped, but none hit the ship. This attack lasted about an hour. The second attack (by 7 aircraft, smaller than the first 3) took place about 10 miles from shore at 18:00, lasting about 20 minutes. The captain was killed by a machine gun bullet and 1st Engineer Harald Pedersen fatally injured, several others wounded. A French patrol vessel* picked up the entire crew, including the captain, and took them to Cherbourg. The injured engineer was taken to hospital in Bayeux, but he died on June 20 and was buried there along with the captain. The crew left Cherbourg with the British troops that same day on the ferry Antwerp, arriving Southampton that night. Maritime hearings were held in London on June 21-1940 with the 1st mate, the 2nd mate, the 2nd engineer and Able Seaman Grødal appearing.
Crew List:
Related external links: Back to Komet on the "Ships starting with K" page. Norway had previously had another Komet, originally delivered in 1892 as Beacon Rock to owners in Glasgow, 1917 gt, sold to Norway in 1910 and renamed Komet for Daniel Steens Rederi. Later sailed as Cate for Brøvigs Rederi, Farsund from 1913, sold for breaking up in 1923. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Våre gamle skip", Leif M. Bjørkelund & E. H. Kongshavn (pre war history), "Krigsseileren" No. 3 for 1983, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Norwegian Maritime Museum, Volume I, and misc. (ref. My sources).
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