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D/S Polarland
Updated Oct. 2-2010

To Polarland on the "Ships starting with P" page.

Crew List


From Sverre Johansen's postcard collection.
Another picture is available at Uboat.net (external link).

Owner: D/S A/S Vestland
Manager: Rich. Amlie & Sverre Amlie, Haugesund
Tonnage:
1591 gt, 932 net, 2400 tdwt (Rohwer gives her tonnage as 1595 gt).
Signal Letters: LCWQ

Delivered in Oct.-1923 from Laxevaag Maskin- og Jernskibsbyggeri, Bergen, Norway (135) as Polarland to D/S A/S Vestland (Rich. Amlie), Haugesund. 246' x 37.9' x 15.7', Triple exp. (Laxevaag), 164 nhp. Managed by Rich. Amlie & Sverre Amlie, Haugesund from 1936.

Captain: Finn N. Abrahamsen

Related items on this website:
Warsailor Stories - A letter from Birger Lunde to BBC; an account of his wartime experiences on misc. Norwegian ships, one of them being Polarland - he left the ship just before she was sunk (see also D/S Blink)
A Guestbook message - From a relative of one of Polarland's casualties, Sigvald A. Eide.

Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 | Page 7

As will be seen when going to Page 2 and Page 3, there's something peculiar in the last listing on Page 2 as compared to the dates in the first listing on Page. 3.

Please compare the above voyages with Arnold Hague's Voyage Record below.

  Voyage Record
From Apr.-1942 to Jan.-1945:  

(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database).

Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each.

Errors may exist; this could also mean that she may not have sailed in all the convoys mentioned here. Also, as can be seen, her 1940 and 1941 voyages are not included.

Departure From To Arrival Convoy Remarks
1942 Apr. 9 Halifax Boston* Apr. 11 XB 8 Earlier voyages:
Page 1, Page 2 & Page 3
Convoy available at XB convoys
(external link)
*Convoy XB 8 did arrive Boston on Apr. 11, but Page 3 shows Polarland arriving New York on Apr. 12 - Boston is not mentioned. The document now lists some voyages that are missing from A. Hague's record.
May 21 Corner Brook Sydney, C.B. BSC 1 Convoy available via this page
(external link)
Page 3 gives arrival May 22,
on to Halifax same day.
May 25 Halifax Boston* May 27 XB 22 Convoy available at XB convoys
(external link)
*Arrived New York May 28
(Page 3 - Also, missing voyage).
June 9 Portland, Maine Halifax June 12 BX 24 A. Hague says:
To Sydney, C.B.
Compare w/Page 3
(also, missing voyages)
Convoy available at BX convoys
(external link)
July 15 Boston* Halifax July 17 BX 29 To Sydney, C.B.
Convoy available at link above
*From New York July 14
(Page 3).
July 21 Halifax Sydney, C.B. July 23 HS 32 Convoy available at HS convoys
(external link)
July 23 Sydney, C.B. St. John's, N.F. July 25 LC 31 Convoy available via this page
(external link)
Aug. 8 St. John's, N.F. Sydney, C.B. Aug. 12 CL 50 Convoy available via link above
Aug. 13 Sydney, C.B. Corner Brook Aug. 14 SB 20 Convoy available via link above
Aug. 19 Corner Brook Sydney, C.B. Aug. 20 BSC 21 Convoy available via link above
Aug. 23 Sydney, C.B. Halifax Aug. 25 SH 37 Convoy available at SH convoys
(external link)
Missing voyages, Page 3
Sept. 9 Boston Halifax Sept. 11 BX 37 Convoy available at BX convoys
(external link)
Sept. 12 Halifax St. John's, N.F. Sept. 16 HJ 11 Convoy available via this page
(external link)
Sept. 20 St. John's, N.F. Sydney, C.B. Sept. 22 CL 58 Convoy available via link above
Sept. 23 Sydney, C.B. St. John's, N.F. Sept. 26 BW 4 For St. John's, N.F.
Convoy available at BW convoys
(external link)
Oct. 7 St. John's, N.F. Sydney, C.B. Oct. 10 WB 6 Convoy available via this page
(external link)
?* Oct. 11 New York City St. John's, N.F. Oct. 22 SC 105 For St. John's, N.F.
Convoy will be added.
See ships in SC convoys
*I believe this must be an error - Though dates are slightly off (this could simply be due to different time zones used in reords) the next entry fits better with the details found on Page 3
Oct. 16 Sydney, C.B. St. John's, N.F. Oct. 18 LC 50 Convoy available via this page
(external link)
Nov. 5 St. John's, N.F. Sydney, C.B.* Nov. 8 WB 12 Convoy available via link above
*Arrived St. Lawrence, N.F., Nov. 9
(Page 3).
Nov. 14 St. John's, N.F. Port Alfred Nov. 17 WB 13 St. John's to Port Alfred.
Convoy available via link above
Arrived Sydney, C.B. Nov. 17
(Page 3).
Nov. 21 Sydney, C.B. Father Point* Nov. 25 SQ 46 Convoy available via link above
*Arrived Port Alfred Nov. 25, on to Quebec
(Page 3).
Dec. 3 Father Point Sydney, C.B. Dec. 6 QS 46 Convoy available via link above
Dec. 10 Sydney, C.B. St. John's, N.F. Dec. 13 BW 20 For St. John's, N.F.
Convoy available at BW convoys
(external link)
Dec. 23 St. John's, N.F. Sydney, C.B. Dec. 26 WB 18 Convoy available via this page
(external link)
Missing voyages, Page 4
1943 Jan. 15 St. John's, N.F. Halifax* Jan. 18 JH 29 *Arrived Louisburg, Jan. 18
(Page 4).
Convoy available via link above
Jan. 26 Halifax* St. John's, N.F. Jan. 29 HJ 30 *From Louisburg.
Convoy available via link above
Febr. 6 St. John's, N.F. Halifax* Febr. 10 JH 35 *Arrived Louisburg.
Convoy available via link above
Febr. 18 St. John's, N.F. Halifax Febr. 22 JH 37 Convoy available via link above
Febr. 23 Halifax Boston Febr. 25 HF 38 A. Hague says:
Onward to Boston,
(convoy arr. St. John's, Febr. 25).
Available at HF convoys
(external link)
Missing voyages, Page 4
March 5 New York City New York City March 7 SC 122 Returned NYC.
On to Halifax, March 12
(Page 4).
See also narrative below.
March 20 Halifax St. John's, N.F.* March 24 HJ 41 *For Argentia
(Page 4 - Also, missing voyage).
Convoy available via this page
(external link)
Apr. 8 Halifax Boston Apr. 10 XB 43 Convoy available at XB convoys
(external link)
Missing voyages, Page 4
May 22 Boston Halifax May 25 BX 53 Convoy available at BX convoys
(external link)
May 29 Halifax Sydney, C.B. May 31 HS 88 Convoy available at HS convoys
(external link)
June 1 Sydney, C.B. Argentia June 3 BW 27 For Argentia.
Convoy available at BW convoys
(external link)
June 8 St. John's, N.F.* Sydney, C.B. June 10 CL 69 *From Argentia
(Page 4).
Convoy available via this page
(external link)
June 12 Sydney, C.B. Corner Brook June 13 SB 46 Convoy available via link above
On to Sydney, C.B., June 20
(Page 4).
June 23 Sydney, C.B. Halifax June 25 SH 88 Convoy available at SH convoys
(external link)
Missing voyages, Page 4
July 10 Boston Halifax July 12 BX 62 Convoy available at BX convoys
(external link)
July 13 Halifax Sydney, C.B. July 15 HS 96 Convoy available at HS convoys
(external link)
July 15 Sydney, C.B. Argentia July 18 BW 41 For Argentia.
Convoy available at BW convoys
(external link)
July 21 Argentia Sydney, C.B. July 23 WB 35 From Argentia.
Convoy available via this page
(external link)
July 24 Sydney, C.B. Corner Brook July 25 SB 53 Convoy available via link above
*? July 27 St. John's, N.F. Sydney, C.B. July 29 WB 37 From St. John's, N.F.
Convoy available via link above
* July 28 Corner Brook Sydney, C.B. July 29 BSC 55 Corner Brook to Sydney.
Convoy available via link above
* One of these entries should probably be deleted. According to Page 4, she sailed from Corner Brook on July 28 and arrived Sydney, C.B. the next day.
July 31 Sydney, C.B. Halifax Aug. 2 SH 95 Convoy available at SH convoys
(external link)
Aug. 3 Halifax Boston Aug. 5 XB 67 Convoy available at XB convoys
(external link)
Later arrived New York, Aug. 6
(Page 4).
Aug. 9 New York City Key West* Aug. 16 NK 558 Convoy available at NK convoys
(external link)
*Arr. Newport, RI, on to Halifax, Aug. 18,
see Page 5
Aug. 22 Halifax Sydney, C.B. Aug. 24 HS 103 Convoy available at HS convoys
(external link)
Aug. 26 Sydney, C.B. Argentia Aug. 29* BW 55 For Argentia.
*Page 5 gives arrival Aug. 27.
Convoy available at BW convoys
(external link)
Sept. 13 St. John's, N.F. Sydney, C.B. Sept. 15 WB 53 From St. John's, N.F.
Convoy available via this page
(external link)
On to Halifax Sept. 18
(Page 5).
Sept. 21 Halifax Cape Cod Canal Sept. 23 XB 75 Convoy available at XB convoys
(external link)
Missing movements, Page 5
Oct. 3 Boston Halifax Oct. 6 BX 76 Convoy available at BX convoys
(external link)
? Oct. 4 St. John's, N.F. Halifax Oct. 6 JH 69 Convoy available via this page
(external link)
Oct. 6 Halifax Sydney, C.B. Oct. 8 HS 110 Convoy available at HS convoys
(external link)
Oct. 10 Sydney, C.B. St. John's, N.F. Oct. 12 BW 70 For St. John's, N.F.
Convoy available at BW convoys
(external link)
Oct. 19 St. John's, N.F. Sydney, C.B. Oct. 21 WB 65 From St. John's, N.F.
Convoy available via this page
(external link)
Oct. 25 Sydney, C.B. Argentia Oct. 28 BW 75 For Argentia.
Convoy available at BW convoys
(external link)
Nov. 1 Argentia Sydney, C.B. Nov. 2 WB 69 From Argentia.
Convoy available via this page
(external link)
Nov. 3 Sydney, C.B. Argentia Nov. 6 BW 78 For Argentia.
Convoy available at BW convoys
(external link)
Nov. 9 Argentia Sydney, C.B. Nov. 12 WB 72 From Argentia.
Convoy available via this page
(external link)
Nov. 15 Sydney, C.B. Halifax Nov. 17 SH 112 Convoy available at SH convoys
(external link)
Nov. 20 Halifax Cape Cod Canal Nov. 23 XB 84 Convoy available at XB convoys
(external link)
Missing voyages, Page 5
1944 Jan. 25 Boston Halifax Jan. 27 BX 93 Earlier 1944 voyages:
Page 5 above.
Convoy available at BX convoys
(external link)
Febr. 1 Halifax Argentia Febr. 4 HJ 80 To Argentia.
Convoy available via this page
(external link)
Febr. 9 Argentia Halifax Febr. 11 ARG 7 Convoy available via link above
Febr. 14 Halifax Boston* Febr. 17 XB 96 *Newport, RI
(Page 5).
Convoy available at XB convoys
(external link)
Missing voyages:
Page 5, Page 6 & Page 7
Dec. 13 Boston Halifax?* Dec. 15 BX 137 *For St. John's, N.F.
(Page 7 - Also, missing voyages).
Convoy available at BX convoys
(external link)
Dec. 16 Halifax Sydney, C.B. Dec. 18 HS 195 Convoy available at HS convoys
(external link)
Dec. 18 Sydney, C.B. St. John's, N.F. Dec. 21 BW 158 Convoy available at BW convoys
(external link)
Dec. 24 St. John's, N.F. St Lawrence, N.F. Dec. 26 WB 149 St. John's to St. Lawrence, N.F.
Convoy available via this page
(external link)
On to Sydney, C.B., Jan. 1-1945
(Page 7).
1945 Jan. 3 Sydney, C.B. SH 194 Sunk - See "Final Fate" below.
Convoy available at SH 194
(external link)


 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.

As will be seen when going to Page 1 of the archive documents, Polarland left Charleston for Cuba on Apr. 7-1940, 2 days before war broke out in Norway. She later arrived Kingston, Jamaica on Apr. 14. It'll be noticed that she spent quite a long time in Philadelphia that year. She had arrived there from New York on July 8 and departure is given as Oct. 14, when she proceeded to Hampton Roads. Her 1941 voyages also start on this document - according to the memorial for seamen in Stavern, Norway (link at the end of this page), she lost a crew member early that year. Seaman Anton Thomassen is said to have died on Jan. 25-1941 after an accident on board. From the archive document, we learn that Polarland was on her way from Mobile to Cristobal on that date. Her 1941 voyages continue on Page 2, which shows another long gap. She had arrived New York from Dingwall, N.S. on Dec. 12-1941 and the next entry shows her leaving New York for Halifax on March 15-1942. She's mentioned in a document I have for Convoy SC 76, which left Halifax for the U.K. on March 24. The document in question is based on a diary, and the author of the diary who saw her leave with the other ships must have assumed that she too was intended for this convoy, but please note that she's not included in the original Advance Sailing Telegram for SC 76 and she probably left Halifax that day for other reasons than to join the convoy. She arrived Argentia on March 28.

She's also mentioned among the ships leaving Halifax to form Convoy SC 100 on Sept. 12-1942, but again, it looks like she left Halifax for other reasons than to join this convoy. In fact, according to Arnold Hague, she joined Convoy HJ 11 that day (external link), and was bound for St. John's, N.F., where she arrived Sept. 16 - see Page 3. Arnold Hague has also included Polarland in Convoy SC 105, which originated in New York on Oct. 11. Her destination is given as St. John's only, but I'm not entirely convinced she sailed in this convoy, as it does not quite match up with the details found on the archive document. She did sail to St. John's in this time period, having left Sydney, C.B. on Oct. 15, but for this voyage, A. Hague has her (together with Garnes) in Convoy LC 50 (also external page). She arrived St. John's on Oct. 19. SC 105 is not yet available among the SC convoys in my Convoys section, but will be added (see ships in all SC convoys). Bonde, Don, Far, Herma, Kirsten B, Norelg and Ramø are also listed.

The following year, she was fortunate to miss what has been dubbed the worst convoy battle of the war fought in the North Atlantic. This took place in March-1943 and the two eastbound convoys SC 122 and HX 229 were involved. Gudvor, Askepot and Polarland had started out from New York in Convoy SC 122 on March 5 (Polarland's destination was St. John's), but only Askepot was present when the attacks started, the other 2 having lost the convoy in a storm and returned to port. The battle lasted for 5 days and when it was over on March 20, 22 merchant ships had been sunk, with HX 229 being the hardest hit (Abraham Lincoln was the Commodore Vessel for HX 229 in which Elin K was sunk) - only one U-boat was sunk by airplane on March 19. Please follow the links to my pages about these convoys for much more information; cruising orders and charts and an analysis of attacks are also available for SC 122. Here are the cruising orders and analysis for HX 229. There's also a Statistical analysis. The external websites that I've linked to below also has information on this battle. According to Page 4, Polarland left New York again on March 12 and arrived Halifax on the 15th, proceeding to Argentia a few days later.

Page 5 shows more 1943 voyages as well as some 1944 voyages, which continue on Page 6 and Page 7. Convoy information for some of them can be found in A. Hague's Voyage Record.

Related external links:
HX 229, 16-19 March | SC 122, 17 -19 March - the battle day by day (uboat net has 37 ships in HX 229 and 50 in SC 122).

More on this battle - Scroll down on the page (from USMM in WW II).

 Final Fate - 1945: 

In the afternoon of Jan. 4-1945 Polarland was in station 31 of Convoy SH 194 (external page), on a voyage from St. Lawrence, N.F. and Sydney, C.B. (departed St. Lawrence on Jan. 1, Sydney, C.B. on Jan. 3 - Page 7) for Halifax and Philadelphia with a cargo of 1200 tons of fluor spar, when a torpedo struck on the port side (in view of land off Halifax, about 4 n. miles away) and she sank within 15 seconds, 44 30N 63 00W. 2 men were able to throw themselves onto a raft which floated clear of the ship as she sank, another 3 came to the surface nearby and were also helped onto the raft. All the survivors had been on the poop when the attack occurred.

The torpedo had come from U-1232 (Dobratz), which had also torpedoed and damaged the Canadian M/T Nipiwan Park from the same convoy shortly before Polarland was hit, and the alarm had been sounded on Polarland so that all on board had been called out.

The survivors were picked up about an hour later by the Canadian mine-sweeping sloop HMCS Kentville (J-312) and landed in Halifax, where an inquiry was held on Jan. 6-1945 with all 5 survivors appearing.

J. Rohwer also lists the Canadian minesweeper HDML 1163 as damaged by this U-boat. Position is given as 44 30N 63W for all 3 ships.

Crew List:

Survivors:
Able Seaman/Gunner
Harald Bakke
Donkeyman
Hans Lund
Stoker
Ole K. Lund
Stoker
Anfin Bernhardsen
Stoker
Sigurd Svendsen
Casualties

Captain
Finn N. Abrahamsen

1st Mate
Hans Hågenvik

2nd Mate
Olav Lekven

2nd? Mate
Per Eyvind Voss

Boatswain
Harry Wroldsen

Able Seaman
Ivan Nilsen

Able Seaman
Martin Rasmussen

Able Seaman
Odd Gulliksen

Able Seaman*
Sigvald Henriksen

Able Seaman/Gunner
Bjarne Johnsen

1st Engineer
Karsten Nicolaisen

2nd Engineer
Rolf Hansen

Assistant
Sigurd Thomassen

Stoker
Oskar E. Svendsen

Trimmer
Per Olaf Sørbotten

Steward
Monrad P. Haugland

Cook
Bjarne Olsen

Mess Boy
Henry Kristiansen

Harry Wroldsen had previously survived the sinking of Hvoslef.

Related external links:
Stavern Memorial commemorations
- 20 are commemorated here. 1 of them, Seaman Anton Thomassen, had died on Jan. 25-1941 after an accident on board. From Page 1 of the archive documents, we learn that Polarland was on her way from Mobile to Cristobal on that date. *There's also a Mate Sigvald Andreas Eide listed - he's identical to Able Seaman Sigvald Henriksen in my crew list above; in other words, he's listed twice at the memorial, the first time with the wrong birthdate and title (this has become clear through this Guestbook message from a relative).

U-1232
The attack on Nipiwan Park

Back to Polarland on the "Ships starting with P" page.

The company later had another Polarland, built in Haugesund 1966, 12 877 gt. Became Iscelu in 1977 (Georgetown), Turkish Trakya in 1981, Trakya I of Istanbul that same year, Panama registered Lung Hao in 1989. Wrecked by typhoon Sarah near Hualien on Sept. 12-1989.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume II (Norwegian Maritime Museum), and misc. (ref. My sources).

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