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M/S Molda To Molda on the "Ships starting with M" page. Manager: A/S J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi, Bergen Delivered in Oct.-1937 from Deschimag Werk Weser, Bremen (916) as Molda to A/S J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi, Bergen. 5137 gt, 2981 net, 8425 tdwt, 435.2' x 55.8' x 25.2', 2 x 6 cyl. 2T DM (MAN AG, Augsburg), 3600 bhp.
Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives: 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.
As can be seen when going to Page 1 of the archive documents, Molda was in New York when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940, departing that day for Philadelphia. Her 1941 voyages also start on this document and continue on Page 2 and Page 3. The latter page also shows her 1942 voyages. It'll be noticed that she spent quite a long time in New York that year. She had arrived there from Philadelphia on March 16 and departure is given as Apr. 30, when she proceeded to Trinidad, where she arrived May 10. As can be seen, she didn't go to the U.K. at all until Aug. 30-1942, when she's listed, with a general cargo for Mersey, in station 105 of Convoy HX 205 from Halifax, arriving Liverpool on Sept. 11, and from then on she went back and forth across the Atlantic on a regular basis until Apr.-1945. (Acanthus, Eglantine, Montbretia and Potentilla are named among the escorts for HX 205. See also the Commodore's suggestions for improvement of the convoy system). She's now listed, along with Anna Knudsen, Athos, Bello, Brimanger, Emma Bakke, Garonne, Grey County, Kosmos II, Minerva, Noreg, Nueva Granada, Petter II (returned), Polarsol, Polartank, Sandanger, Skandinavia, Thorshavet, Thorshov and the Panamanian Norbris (Norwegian managers and included under the N's on this website), in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 133*, which left Liverpool on Sept. 25-1942 and arrived New York Oct. 11. Molda was scheduled to return with Convoy HX 213 from New York on Oct. 26, but instead joined the next convoy on Nov. 3, HX 214, general cargo for Liverpool, station 71. Her last Trans-Atlantic voyage that year was made in Convoy ON 151*, departing Liverpool on Dec. 3, arriving New York on the 23rd; see also Page 3. The Norwegian Atlantic, Brasil, Brimanger, Gefion, Geisha (Commodore Vessel), Kaia Knudsen, Skandinavia, Stigstad and Thorshov are also listed. Early in the new year, on Jan. 6-1943, she can be found in Convoy HX 222 from New York, general cargo for Liverpool, where she arrived Jan. 22 (Vestfold was sunk - follow the link for details). Molda headed back to New York on Febr. 11 with Convoy ON 166, in which several ships were sunk, including the Norwegian Stigstad, Ingria, N. T. Nielsen-Alonso and Glittre - follow the links for more info. Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were Tropic Star, Skandinavia, Tai Shan and Brasil. Molda arrived New York on March 3, and according to Arnold Hague, she subsequently returned to the U.K. in Convoy HX 230*, departing New York on March 18, arriving Liverpool Apr. 2 (again, see also Page 3). As usual, she had been in the company of other Norwegian ships, namely Høyanger, Kong Haakon VII, O. B. Sørensen, Skjelbred and Tai Shan. Molda went back in the other direction again on Apr. 18, joining Convoy ON 179*, which arrived New York on May 6 and also had Athos, Boreas (returned to port), Buenos Aires, Høyanger, Katy, Mosdale, Norheim, President de Vogue and Tai Shan in its ranks. Molda was scheduled for Convoy HX 240 on May 19, but instead joined the next convoy on May 25, HX 241, general cargo for Glasgow, station 73, arriving Glasgow on June 10 (see Page 4). Early the following month we find her, together with Heranger, Kronprinsessen, Oregon Express, Salamis, Spinanger and the Panamanian Norbris, in the westbound Convoy ON 191*, originating in Liverpool on July 1 (Molda sailed from Clyde that day), arriving New York July 15, and at the end of that month, she shows up in Convoy HX 250, bound for Swansea with general cargo. She arrived her destination on Aug. 13, having stopped at Belfast Lough the day before. A couple of weeks later, she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 199*, which sailed from Liverpool on Aug. 26 and also included Cypria, Haakon Hauan (returned), Høyanger, Kaldfonn, Kronprinsessen, Norma, Solsten, Spinanger and Stiklestad. Molda arrived New York on Sept. 9/10 (having started out from Milford Haven Aug. 26). According to Arnold Hague she subsequently headed back across the Atlantic on Sept. 22 in Convoy HX 258*, which arrived Liverpool Oct. 6. Haakon Hauan, Idefjord, Norheim, Roald Amundsen and San Andres are also listed. Together with Idefjord and San Andres, Molda now joined Convoy ON 207*, departing Liverpool for New York on Oct. 18, and the following month A. Hague has her, with a general cargo and explosives, in station 42 of Convoy HX 267*, departing New York on Nov. 19, arriving Liverpool Dec. 3. Ferncourt and San Andres are also included. Molda left again for New York on Dec. 16, arriving her destination on Jan. 3-1944, having sailed in Convoy ON 216*, along with Ferncourt, Fernwood and Skiensfjord - Fagerfjell also joined, but returned to port. Molda's voyages in this period are shown on Page 4. She commenced her voyage back to the U.K. on Jan. 22-1944 in Convoy HX 276 from New York, for which Abraham Lincoln served as Commodore Vessel. Molda was again bound for Glasgow with general cargo, arriving there on Febr. 7, then returned to the U.S. with Convoy ON 224, which originated in Liverpool on Febr. 14 and arrived New York on March 2 (Molda had joined from Clyde). The Norwegian Fernmoor, Skaraas, Pan Scandia, Samuel Bakke and Vanja are also listed, some of which, including Molda, headed back to the U.K. on March 21 with Convoy HX 284, which arrived Liverpool on Apr. 6 and again had Abraham Lincoln as Commodore Ship. Later that month Molda joined Convoy ON 234* (from Liverpool Apr. 26), along with Estrella, Abraham Lincoln, Fagerfjell, Fernmoor, Garonne, Geisha, Kaldfonn, Leiv Eiriksson, Lista, Petter, Romulus, Samuel Bakke, Skiensfjord, Solfonn, Strinda and Vinland, as well as the Panamanian Norlys (Norwegian managers). On May 27 we find her in Convoy HX 293 from New York, general cargo for Liverpool, where she arrived June 10 (according to Page 4) - this time, Samuel Bakke served as Commodore Vessel. Molda now returned to New York again, having joined Convoy ON 242*, departing Liverpool June 25, arriving New York July 11. Ferncliff, Fernmoor, Fjordheim, Havkong, Marit II, Peik, Samuel Bakke (Vice Commodore), Skiensfjord, Solstad, Solsten, Stirlingville, Tercero, Thorshov and Vera are also listed, some of which, including Molda, went back across the Atlantic in Convoy HX 301 from New York on July 25. Commodore was in Reinholt, Vice Commodore in Samuel Bakke. Molda was again bound for Liverpool with general cargo, arriving there on Aug. 8. She later joined Convoy ON 250*, again with several other Norwegian ships, namely Fridtjof Nansen, Haakon Hauan, Havkong, Pan Scandia, Samuel Bakke (Commodore Vessel) and Thorshov as well as the Panamanian Norlys. This convoy left Liverpool on Aug. 24-1944 and arrived New York Sept. 7; Molda arrived Portland, Maine that day. From Portland, she made a voyage to Boston (Page 4), then on to Halifax in order to join the Halifax portion of Convoy HX 310, general cargo for Liverpool, where she arrived on Oct. 6. This convoy had started out in New York on Sept. 21; Molda had sailed from Halifax on the 23rd - Commodore was again in Reinholt, while the Norwegian Høyanger served as the Vice Commodore's ship. Acanthus, Buttercup, Rose and Tunsberg Castle are named among the escorts (see HX convoy escorts), but please note that Buttercup did not come under the Norwegian flag until after the loss of Tunsberg Castle (my page about this ship has more info). With Høyanger (Commodore Vessel), Skiensfjord (returned), Strinda and Thorhild, Molda subsequently joined the westbound Convoy ON 260*, departing Liverpool Oct. 16 - Rose (sunk - follow the link to my page about Rose above), Buttercup and Tunsberg Castle are again mentioned among the escorts (see ON convoy escorts). Via Cape Cod Canal, Molda arrived New York on Nov. 2, then on the 19th of that month she's listed in Convoy HX 321, general cargo for London; she arrived Gravesend on Dec. 7 (Buttercup escorted for a while). Before that year was over, she went back across the Atlantic with Convoy ON 274* and arrived New York on Jan. 8-1945 - see Page 5. Marathon, Høyanger, Kristianiafjord, Kronprinsessen, Laurits Swenson, Samuel Bakke (Commodore Vessel), Solør, Sophocles and Velma are also included. Molda was scheduled for the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 334 on Jan. 23-1945 (Commodore in Samuel Bakke), but instead joined the next convoy on Jan. 28, HX 335, general cargo for Newcastle. She arrived North Shields on Febr. 14, remaining there for quite some time. Her last Trans-Atlantic voyage was made in Convoy ON 289*, arriving New York on March 25. Brasil, Dalfonn, Havprins, Høyanger, John Bakke and Polarsol, and again the Panamanian Norlys, as well as Norvinn also took part. The rest of her voyages are shown on Page 5 (to Apr.-1946).
Renamed Molda County in 1959 (not sold). Renamed Molda in 1961 (not sold). Sold in 1963 to K/S A/S Ocean Transport & Co. and D/S A/S Fro (August Kjerland & Co A/S), Bergen, renamed Fana. Renamed Captain Leonidas in 1966, having been sold in Dec.-1965 to Astronuevo Cia. Nav. S/A (Marine Star Shipping Agencies Inc., New York), Panama. Grounded in Canal Messier on Apr. 7-1968 while on a voyage from Santos to Valparaiso with sugar and became a total loss. Back to Molda on the "Ships starting with M" page. Other ships by this name: This company used the name Molda again for a tanker delivered to them in Dec.-1966, built at Kiel, 75 494 gt. Broken up in 1979. Another Molda was delivered to the company in June-1979, built in Japan, 24 999 gt. Renamed Condor Arrow in 1991 for Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Skipsrederi A/S, Bergen - still in service. Yet another Molda was delivered in Apr.-1994, also built in Japan, 52 157 gt. Still in service, managed by Vista Ship Management A/S, Bergen.
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