M/T Norvinn
(Panamanian flag)

Updated Aug. 17-2010

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

Both pictures are from Bjørn Milde's postcard collection.

He also sent me the following picture of a ship named Solglimt.
It has been suggested that this might be the ex Norvinn (see Post War info further down on this page), but to me it looks completely different. Can anyone confirm? My address has been provided at the bottom of this page.

See also this external page.

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; the Commodore's notes are also available for most of them and several Norwegian ships took part. As already mentioned, quite a few voyages appear to be missing from her record.

Norvinn, with a cargo of fuel oil for Clyde, is listed in station 26 of Convoy HX 59 in July-1940, having joined the convoy from Bermuda (she had previously been cancelled from the Bermuda portion of an earlier convoy, HX 56). The following month she shows up in Convoy OB 199, which left Liverpool on Aug. 16 and dispersed on Aug. 20. Norvinn's destination is given as Jamaica, but her arrival there is not known - see the external link provided in the Voyage Record, the Norwegian Norefjord and Selbo are also listed.

She's mentioned in a report for Convoy HG 53 in Febr.-1941, but please note that she was not actually in this convoy herself. She's just mentioned under Febr. 7 in HMS Deptford's report, which says she was encountered that day, adding "Velox was ordered to board, and she was allowed to proceed after having reported that she held orders from Naval Control Senior Officer, Trinidad and was routed to Gibraltar". The following month (end of March-1941) we find her in station 64 of Convoy HX 118 from Halifax, bound for Milford Haven and Falmouth with fuel oil. Early in May she's listed as bound for Panama in Convoy OB 319, which originated in Liverpool on May 7 and dispersed on the 13th - again, ref. external link in the table above, Egda, Grey County, Kaia Knudsen, Nova and Polartank are also included. On Sept. 4, she joined Convoy HX 148 from Halifax, along with the Norwegian Ørnefjell, James Hawson, Grey County, Stigstad, Idefjord, Egda, Vivi, Herbrand and Mirlo. A. Hague has also included Gefion in this convoy. Some of these ships, including Norvinn, subsequently returned across the Atlantic with Convoy ON 20 on Sept. 25. Norvinn was bound for New York, and had station 83 of the convoy, which was dispersed on Oct. 9. She was scheduled for Convoy HX 162 from Halifax on Nov. 27, but instead joined the next convoy on Dec. 3, HX 163.

In Jan.-1942, she's listed in station 45 of Convoy OS 16, on a voyage in ballast from Milford to Ponte de Pierre. Bernhard, Brønnøy, Kattegat, L. A. Christensen, Rio Branco and Slemmestad are also named in this convoy, which left Liverpool on Jan. 5 and arrived Freetown on the 23rd (but did she go to Freetown?) - ref. link in the table above. The following month, she joined the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 174, together with the Norwegian Anderson (lost, follow link for details), James Hawson, Høegh Giant, Fernwood, Vanja, Thorsholm, Athos and Beth. Acanthus and Rose are named among the escorts. According to Arnold Hague, Norvinn returned to port following a collision, and does not show up again until Convoy HX 182 on March 27. Acanthus and Rose are again named among the escorts, as are Eglantine, Potentilla and Kos XX.

According to the external website that I've linked to at the end of this page, she was scheduled for Convoy OS 27, which left Liverpool for Freetown on May 2-1942, but she did not sail. She is, however, listed in the Loch Ewe-Reykjavik Convoy UR 23 on May 8. A. Hague has not included her in his listing for this convoy (external link), but the information on my page about UR 23 is based on original convoy documents, so should be correct. In June we find her in Convoy RU 26 from Reykjavik to the U.K., subsequently joining the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 103* in order to travel to Boston (departure Liverpool June 12, arrival Boston June 26; Norvinn joined from Oban, according to A. Hague's record). The Norwegian Ferncourt, Frontenac, Garnes (from Halifax), Idefjord, Kaia Knudsen, Kong Haakon VII (Commodore Vessel), Lista, Maud, Mirlo, Noreg, Scebeli, Sommerstad, Thorshøvdi, Tijuca and Troubadour area also listed.

On Sept. 13 she shows up in Convoy HX 207 from Halifax. According to the Commodore's notes, she parted company with the convoy for Londonderry at 09:00 on Sept. 24. The following month she's listed as bound for New York in station 42 of Convoy ON 137*, which left Liverpool on Oct. 9 and arrived New York on the 29th and also included the Norwegian Iris (from Halifax), Norholm, Norsol, President de Vogue, Stiklestad, Tai Shan and Velma. On Dec. 5, we find her in Convoy HX 218 from New York, bound for Clyde, station 73, returning across the Atlantic at the end of that month with Convoy ON 157, which arrived New York on Jan. 15-1943. The Norwegian Skiensfjord acted as Commodore Vessel.

Norvinn was in the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 224 in Jan.-1943 when she experienced engine problems in the morning of Jan. 28 and proceeded to St. John's, N.F. From there, she subsequently joined the next convoy, HX 225, then in March she went in the other direction with Convoy ON 170, bound for New York, station 52, serving as escort oiler, and also carrying spare depth charges on board. This convoy arrived New York on March 20, and according to A. Hague, she now joined Convoy HX 231*, together with Athos, Katy, Mosdale (from St. John's), Norheim, Ørnefjell (to Halifax), Reinholt, Scebeli and Slemmestad (from Halifax). The convoy left New York on March 25 and arrived Liverpool on Apr. 10 (having lost several ships - ref. external link at the end of this page). Just a couple of days later, she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 178*, again bound for New York (left Liverpool Apr. 12, arrived New York May 2). This convoy also had a couple of Norwegian ships, namely O. B. Sørensen and Scebeli (sunk, follow link for more details). Norvinn (and O. B. Sørensen) headed back across the Atlantic on May 7 with Convoy HX 238, bound for Scapa, station 72 (Escort Oiler). According to the Commodore's notes, she left the convoy early in the morning of May 21 in order to proceed to her destination, escorted by Bittersweet. At the beginning of June she's included among the ships in the westbound Convoy ON 187* (Escort Oiler), departing Liverpool on June 1, arriving New York on the 15th. Again, several ships in the convoy were Norwegian, namely Annik, Athos, Braga, Bralanta, Elisabeth Bakke, Fagerfjell, Frontenac, Helgøy, Kronprinsen, Lista, Morgenen, Norbryn, Norefjord, O. B. Sørensen, President de Vogue, Toledo and Vanja.

On June 23 she was ready to go back to the U.K. with Convoy HX 245, destination Londonderry, station 35 (Escort Oiler). The Commodore says in his notes that she was among several ships that were detached as a fast section at 12 knots at 11:00 on July 4 (HX 245F). However, 2 of the ships were ordered back to HX 245 that same day, being unable to keep up the new speed; they were Roger Williams at 14:00 (she had a broken pump), and Norvinn at 16:30 - follow the link to my page about this convoy for more info. She subsequently served as Escort Oiler for the westbound Convoy ON 192*, which also included the Norwegian Anna Knudsen, Buenos Aires, Emma Bakke, Ferncourt, Ivaran, Laurits Swenson (Commodore Vessel), Norholm, Petter, Reinholt, San Andres, Skaraas (returned), Tai Shan, Topdalsfjord, Vest and Villanger (departure Liverpool July 9, arrival New York July 22). In Sept.-1943 she shows up, together with Danio, Facto, Måkefjell and Sirehei, in Convoy KMS 25*, on a voyage from Tunis to Port Said - see also the Voyage Record above (it'll be noticed that no 1944 voyages are included).

Skipping now to Febr. 12-1945, when we find her in the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 338, bound for Stanlow. She went back across the Atlantic in March with Convoy ON 289*, which departed Southend on March 7 and arrived New York on the 25th and also had the Norwegian Brasil, Dalfonn, Havprins, Høyanger, John Bakke, Molda and Polarsol, as well as the Panamanian Norlys in its ranks. In May that year A. Hague has included her, together with Dalfonn, Emma Bakke, Fenris, Lista (Vice Commodore) and Sørvard, in Convoy HX 356*, which left New York on May 13 and arrived Liverpool on the 26th.

*The ON convoys will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, along with further details on each. In the meantime, the ships sailing in them (and escorts) are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. Note also that the entire HX series will eventually be updated and completed, including the already existing convoys (some have already been updated), but for now, see ships in all HX convoys. Additinally, the MKS and KMS series will be completed, see ships in all MKS convoys and ships in all KMS convoys.

For more details on the Norwegian ships mentioned here, please see the alphabet index below, or go to the Master Ship Index.

POST WAR:

According to the 3rd website that I've linked to below, she was owned by Hvalfangerselskabet Norge (Chr. Nielsen), Larvik as Solglimt in 1949, and from 1957 by Sped. Italiane Marit. Terrestri, Genoa as Pietro Martini. Broken up in La Spezia, commencing Febr. 26-1966.
See also this external page.

Related external links:
OS and OS/KMS Convoys - Norvinn is mentioned in OS 27.

Ships hit from Convoy HX 231

Clyde Built Ships

Other ships owned by Johan Rasmussen & Co. - Here is the main page.

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