M/T Norbris
Panamanian flag

Updated July 19-2010

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


Source: Received from the webmaster of Riversea International (website no longer appears to exist).

See also this external page.

From Sverre Johansen's postcard collection.
Post war picture, when she had the name Solheim (see Post War details below).

Misc. Convoy Voyages:

For information on voyages made in between those mentioned here, please see A. Hague's Voyage Record above. Follow the convoy links provided for further details; several Norwegian ships took part in them.

With a cargo of fuel oil for Iceland, Norbris is listed in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 173 in Febr.-1942. According to A. Hague, she arrived Iceland on Febr. 14, later joining the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 69* from there. This convoy had started out in Liverpool on Febr. 20 and also included Fernhill, Laurits Swenson, Montevideo and Tai Shan. That summer she appears in Convoy SL 114 which left Freetown on June 25 and arrived Liverpool on July 17; Norbris stopped at Loch Ewe the day before. She had a cargo of fuel oil and turpentine - ref. external link provided in the table above for more on this convoy, Belnor, Vanja, Norholm, Solfonn and Villanger are also listed.

In Sept.-1942 we find Norbris in the westbound Convoy ON 133*, together with Anna Knudsen, Athos, Bello, Brimanger, Emma Bakke, Garonne, Grey County, Kosmos II, Minerva, Molda, Noreg, Nueva Granada, Petter II (returned), Polarsol, Polartank, Sandanger, Skandinavia, Thorshavet and Thorshov. This convoy had originated in Liverpool on Sept. 25 and arrived New York Oct. 11; Norbris had joined from Loch Ewe. According to A. Hague, she now made a voyage to Trinidad (via Guantanamo) then returned to New York in order to join Convoy SC 110* back to the U.K. on Nov. 17, arriving Liverpool on Dec. 6. She had again been in the company of several Norwegian ships, namely Fana, Ferncliff, Gezina, Hallfried, John Bakke (collided, follow link for details), Meline, Norefjord, Tanafjord and Vav.

A few days later, Norbris was scheduled to return with Convoy ON 153, in which Bello and others were sunk (follow links for details), but instead joined Convoy ON 155, which left Liverpool on Dec. 19-1942 and arrived New York Jan. 6-1943. However, according to the Commodore's narrative, Norbris parted company for Guantanamo in the evening of Jan. 1. Eglantine and Acanthus are named among the escorts. According to A. Hague's record, she now made a voyage from Guantanamo to Curacao before proceeding to New York, with arrival there on Jan. 27, and with fuel oil for Stanlow, she's listed as scheduled for the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 225 on Jan. 30, but did not sail. As can be seen in the Voyage Record, she instead headed to Oran the following month, returning to the U.S. from there on March 12. Convoy information for these voyages, and for some of her subsequent voyages, can be found in the table above.

In June-1943 we find her in Convoy HX 243 from New York, bound for Stanlow, station 104, returning across the Atlantic with Convoy ON 191*, departing Liverpool on July 1, arriving New York on the 15th. On July 23, she's listed in Convoy HX 249 from New York, which arrived Liverpool on Aug. 6. According to the Commodore's notes for this convoy, Norbris experienced engine trouble and became a straggler on Aug. 3 - her destination is given as Clyde. The following month she can be found in the westbound Convoy ON 200*, which originated in Liverpool on Sept. 2 and arrived New York on the 18th. Both these ON convoys also had several Norwegian ships, namely Heranger, Kronprinsessen, Molda, Oregon Express, Salamis and Spinanger in ON 191, and Biscaya, Bralanta, Buenos Aires, Emma Bakke, Fagerfjell, Haakon Hauan, Herbrand, Ivaran, Laurits Swenson, Norden, Norheim, O. B. Sørensen and Reinholt in ON 200. From the U.S., Norbris subsequently headed to Bougie and Oran, according to A. Hague - again see the Voyage Record above for his information on the rest of her 1943 voyages as well as some 1944 voyages; for instance, among them is a voyage from Algiers to Augusta in Dec.-1943, Convoy KMS 35*, and a voyage from Augusta to Algiers in Febr.-1944, Convoy MKS 39*.

From Algiers, where she had arrived Febr. 9-1944, she now headed back to the U.S. on Febr. 14, and on March 21 she's listed in the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 284, for which Abraham Lincoln served as the Commodore Vessel. The following month, she's included among the ships in the westbound Convoy ON 232*, which originated in Liverpool on Apr. 13 and arrived New York on the 29th. It now looks like she made a voyage to Curacao, before returning to New York, and on May 27 she joined Convoy HX 293 in order to go back to the U.K. (her destination is given as Stanlow - Commodore was in Samuel Bakke). Norbris headed in the other direction again with Convoy ON 241*, which sailed from Liverpool on June 18, arrived New York July 2 and included Brasil, Drammensfjord, Egda, Evita, Fosna, Lista, Minerva, Solfonn and Spinanger, as well as the Panamanian Norlys. Norbris joined Convoy HX 301 from New York later that month (Commodore in Reinholt, Vice Commodore in Samuel Bakke), but having experienced engine problems, she went into Halifax, joining the Halifax portion of the next convoy a few days later, HX 302. Her destination is given as Avonmouth and Southampton. According to A. Hague, she returned to New York with Convoy ON 251*, departing Liverpool on Sept. 1, arriving New York on the 19th. Bernhard, Elg, Evanger, Ferncliff (returned), Fjordheim (sunk - follow link for details), Germa, Grey County, Heimgar, Henrik Ibsen, Rutenfjell, Snar, Thorhild, Tungsha (Commodore vessel), Veni and Vera are also listed in this convoy. From New York, Norbris subsequently made a voyage to Puerto la Cruz, and at the end of that year she headed to Gibraltar.

Further information is not available.

POST WAR:

Renamed Solheim for Hvalfangerselskapet Norge A/S, Larvik (Chr. Nielsen & Co., Oslo) in 1947. Broken up at Emden, having arrived there on Oct. 12-1955.

Related external link:
Other ships owned by Johan Rasmussen & Co. - Here is the main page.

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