D/S Nea
Updated July 13-2010

To Nea on the "Ships starting with N" page.

A picture is available on this external page.

Some Convoy Voyages:

For information on voyages made in between those mentioned here, please see the documents received from the National Archives of Norway and A. Hague's Voyage Record above. Follow the convoy links provided for further details; several Norwegian ships took part.

Nea is mentioned in connection with Convoy HN 10 from Norway to the U.K. in Febr.-1940, bound for London with pulp. On March 7 she's included among the ships in Convoy OA 105G. This convoy joined up with Convoy OB 105 from Liverpool on March 11, the combined convoy forming OG 21, which arrived Gibraltar on March 17. Nea was bound for Cette with pitch.

A French visitor to my website has told me that Nea sailed from Oran on May(?) 14-1940 in Convoy 19 RS under French escort. West of Gibraltar the convoy merged with the French convoy 86 KS from Casablanca, arriving Brest on Apr. 16 (Høegh Scout is also listed in 86 KS). Both these convoys are available via the external links provided in the Voyage Record, but note that departure Oran is given as Apr. 9 for 19 R so May is probably a typing error; in fact, according to Page 1 of the archive documents, Nea was at Caen on May 14, leaving that day for Glasgow. It'll also be noticed that Oran and Brest are not mentioned on the document, which states she left Gibraltar on Apr. 10 and arrived Dunkirk on the 20th (she had previously arrived Gibraltar from Huelva on Apr. 7, in other words, she was at Gibraltar when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9).

From Dunkirk, Nea headed to the U.K. on Apr. 23, then made another voyage to France, arriving Caen on May 8, leaving again for Glasgow on the 14th, as already mentioned. At the end of that month, she made a voyage to Rouen, returning to the U.K. at the beginning of June, and is subsequently listed in Convoy OA 168GF, which left Southend on June 15 and also included Avance I, Benwood, Fernbank, Ledaal, Svint and Topdalsfjord (again, ref. external link in the Voyage Record). This convoy joined up with Convoy OB 168GF from Liverpool 2 days later to form Convoy OG 34F*, which arrived Gibraltar on June 24. Nea, however, did not go to Gibraltar. She was bound for St. Nazaire, but according to the archive document referred to above, she was diverted to Belfast (presumably due to the German advance into France), where she arrived on June 25, having stopped at Falmouth Bay on the 18th.

As will be seen when going back to Page 1, she made a voyage from Milford Haven to St. John's, N.F. in Aug.-1940. She had started this voyage in Convoy OB 203, which originated in Liverpool on Aug. 24 and dispersed on the 28th, Nea arriving St. John's on Sept. 4 (link in Voyage Record - A. Hague has also included Heina, Idefjord, Ringstad, Sama, Thalatta and Thorshavn). With a cargo of pulp wood, she returned to the U.K. later that month with the slow Convoy SC 5 from Sydney, C.B. (having been cancelled from HX 74). She was bound for Ridham Dock, where she arrived, via various other ports, on Oct. 16. She later spent over a month at Tyne, before proceeding to Methil and Oban, where she arrived Dec. 19, and is subsequently listed as bound for Georgetown in Convoy OB 262, originating in Liverpool on Dec. 20, but probably did not sail, because she shows up again with the same destination in Convoy OB 264, which left Liverpool 4 days later (Christmas Eve) and dispersed on the 29th; according to Page 2, she sailed from Oban on Dec. 27 and arrived Demerara on Jan. 23-1941. Fido, Marga and Ørnefjell are also named in this convoy - ref. link in the table above (another section of the same site has also included Brask, and says that Fido did not sail).

From Demerara, Nea later made a voyage to Trinidad and St. Lucia, then proceeded to Halifax, where she remained for about a month, before joining Convoy SC 26 on March 20-1941. She was one of the lucky ones that escaped the torpedoes, making it safely to Reykjavik on Apr. 6 after the convoy had been dispersed. She had a cargo of bauxite and pitch and was originally bound for Burntisland. See also D/S Helle (sunk), as well as the external link provided at the end of this page. Shortly thereafter Nea rescued 14 men from the French Celte, which had been bombed and sunk between Iceland and Scotland; 10 others were rescued by a British ship. The company fleet list gives the date for this rescue as Apr. 27-1941, and going back to the archive document, we learn that Nea was en route from Reykjavik to Scrabster on that date, later continuing to Burntisland, where she arrived on May 5.

Later that month she made a voyage from Oban to Montreal, where she arrived June 11 (Page 2), proceeding to Sydney, C.B. on June 16 in order to join Convoy SC 35 back to the U.K. In July, she joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 1, originating in Liverpool on July 26, but she returned to port, joining Convoy ON 4 the following month. Her destination is given as Sydney, C.B., and she had station 94 of the convoy. According to the archive document, she arrived Parrsboro on Aug. 26, having started out from Loch Ewe on the 8th. On Sept. 12 she headed to Sydney, C.B., joining Convoy SC 45* from there on Sept. 18. Bjerka, Libra, Orania, Rio Verde, Snar, Solhavn, Trolla and Varanger are also listed (but not all of them from Sydney, C.B.). Nea had a cargo of lumber and stopped at Loch Ewe on Oct. 4, continuing to Methil that same day, then on to Harwich and Ispwich.

On Christmas Eve that same year the British Eastwood struck a mine off Aldeburgh and sank, according to "Nortraships flåte". 7 or 8 men managed to get into a lifeboat, but it capsized and only one man remained afloat. After an hour in the water he was rescued by Nea, which took him to Grimsby, after having searched for other survivors in vain. A visitor to my website says "British Vessels Lost at Sea" states that Eastwood was only damaged, not sunk. "Battle of the East Coast" says "Another impressive success, this time of the rescue tugs, was the Eastwood operation on Xmas Eve 1941. That collier had been mined and sunk near the Aldeburgh Light Float but was refloated and towed into Harwich in pitch darkness." Nea's voyages in this period are shown on Page 3, which also has some of her 1942 voyages.

In the spring of 1942 she made another voyage across the Atlantic, having joined the westbound Convoy ON 90*, which originated in Liverpool on Apr. 28 and arrived Halifax May 15; Nea, however, joined from Loch Ewe and arrived New York May 17, according to Page 4. Aun, Bjørkhaug, Borgholm, Heimgar, Lido, Lisbeth (returned), Norjerv, Norvarg, Ørnefjell, Rio Verde, Selbo, Snar, Suderøy and Velox are also listed. With a cargo of lumber for London, Nea headed back to the U.K. on June 26 in the slow Convoy SC 89 from Sydney, C.B., and along with Dux, Evanger (Commodore Vessel), Norvarg, Rio Verde, Spero and Tore Jarl, we later find her in the westbound Convoy ON 118*, originating in Liverpool on Aug. 1. Nea arrived St. John's, N.F. on Aug. 15, having started out from Loch Ewe again. After having made a voyage to Chatham, N.B. (via Sydney, C.B.), she returned to Sydney in order to join Convoy SC 102*, which had started out in New York on Sept. 19, but she returned to port (St. John's), subsequently joining the Newfoundland portion of Convoy SC 104*, which had sailed from New York on Oct. 3 and lost several ships, among them the Norwegian Fagersten and Senta. Acanthus, Eglantine, Montbretia and Potentilla were among the escorts (see SC convoy escorts). Follow the link to my page about Potentilla for an eye witness account of this convoy battle - more information is available at the external websites that I've linked to at the end of this page. Both these convoys had several Norwegian ships, namely Aragon, Aun, Bestik, Borgfred, Fjordheim, Norvarg, Orwell, Solitaire (also returned) and Solsten in SC 102, and Bernhard, Bonde (returned), Boreas, Garnes, Gudvor, Inger Lise, Ingerfem, Lido, Suderøy and Vinga in SC 104, in addition to the 2 already named. Nea stopped at Belfast Lough on Oct. 21, later proceeding to Bristol.

Skipping now to Apr.-1943, when she was scheduled for Convoy OS 46/KMS 13 from Liverpool (link at the end of this page), but instead joined the next convoy, OS 47/KMS 14 which left on May 5 and split up on May 16, with the ships bound for Gibraltar arriving there on May 17 (KMS portion*), Nea being among them - she had joined from Clyde. Follow the external link provided within the Voyage Record for more convoy details; Kong Haakon VII and Topdalsfjord are also listed. At the end of the following month we find Nea in Convoy KMS 17 - scroll down to the second table on that page. This convoy had started out from the U.K. as the combined Convoy OS 50/KMS 17, but Nea joined the KMS convoy from Gibraltar on June 30 and was bound for Bizerta, with arrival there July 5. Further 1943 voyages in that part of the world are listed on Page 5 and Page 6.

In Febr.-1944, she made a voyage from Bizerta to Augusta, having joined Convoy KMS 41*. Arena and Belnor are also named in this convoy which left Gibraltar on Febr. 17 and had Port Said as its final destination. Nea, however, arrived Augusta on Febr. 23, having sailed from Bizerta 2 days earlier. (For info, KMS 41 had originally started out in the U.K. on Febr. 6 as the combined Convoy OS 67/KMS 41 and split up on Febr. 15, the KMS portion arriving Gibraltar on Febr. 17, while the OS convoy continued to Freetown. Ships that were not bound for Gibraltar then continued to their various destinations, still in KMS 41 - also, other ships joined along the way, Nea among them). Page 6 has a listing of her other 1944 voyages (it'll be noticed that she appears to have spent a long time in Taranto that spring); convoy information for a few of these can be found in A. Hague's Voyage Record.

Early in Jan.-1945 we find her in Convoy MKS 75* to the U.K. This convoy left Gibraltar on Jan. 5 and arrived Liverpool on the 14th; Nea had left Lisbon on Jan. 7 and according to Page 7, she "put in" at Falmouth on the 17th (A. Hague says she had become a straggler from the convoy on the 9th). There's a handwritten note in the "Remarks" column of the archive document which is hard to decipher; it looks like the first word is "Repairs", but I'm not sure whether this note refers to an earlier entry in the record, or whether it pertains to this particular voyage. I say this because it looks like she had spent quite a long time in Gibraltar at the end of 1944, unless some voyages are missing? (A. Hague suggests she had made a voyage to the U.K. already in Dec.-1944 and has included her in Convoy XK 20 from Gibraltar on Dec. 7 - external link - but this does not fit in with the voyages and dates shown on the archive document). She left Falmouth again on Jan. 26, arriving The Downs on the 28th, departing that same day for Palermo, but instead spent 2 months at Gravesend. On Apr. 2 she left Southend in tow. See also the Post War details below.

POST WAR:

Nea was in a bad state of repair at war's end in May-1945, and was laid up in River Thames at the end of service for Nortraship. Sold on Apr. 20-1946 to Rederi-A/B Sueccia, Ystad, Sweden (no name change). Sold on Dec. 24-1946 to Råå Rederi A/B, Råå, Sweden and renamed Juno. Sold on Nov. 2-1950 to Seger Hushållsmaskiner A/B (E. Andihn), Gothenburg and renamed Seger; the company changed its name to Rederi-A/B Seger in 1951. Sold on Nov. 17-1952 to Airiston Laiva O/Y, Helsingfors and renamed Tarvo (or Meri?). Stranded in a snow storm on Nov. 25-1956 about 300 miles from Rödkallen pilot station when on a voyage Nordenham-Luleå and broke in two. Forepart afloat on Oct. 8-1957, but sank near Ratan due to towing wire breaking.

Related external links:
SC-26, 1 - 4 Apr 1941
SC-104, 12 - 16 Oct 1942

Group Wotan and the Battle for Convoy SC 104 - Article with a detailed description of the battle (a section of Rob Fisher's Home Page).

OS/KMS Convoys - As can be seen, Nea is mentioned in Convoy OS 46/KMS 13.

Back to Nea on the "Ships starting with N" page.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, Bachke & Co. fleet list, Finn R. Hansen, Nordenfjeldske D/S fleet list, Finn R. Hansen and misc. (ref. My sources).