M/T President de Vogue - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

1940-1941:

President de Vogue appears to have been scheduled for the Bermuda portion of Convoy HX 66 in Aug.-1940, but has been crossed out on the convoy form (the Norwegian Norne was sunk in this convoy). She also Cancelled from the Bermuda portion of the next convoy, HX 67, and does not show up again until Convoy HX 86 in Nov. that year, bound for Mersey with fuel oil in station 62.

At the beginning of the new year she's listed in Convoy OB 279, which left Liverpool on Jan. 28-1941, dispersed on Febr. 2. Her destination is given as Curacao on that occasion. The external website that I've linked to at the end of this page has the names of the other ships in this convoy, some of which were Norwegian.

In March-1941 she sailed in HX 114, fuel oil for Clyde, joining from Bermuda (the Norwegian Hidlefjord was sunk). She's also listed in the U.K.-Gibraltar Convoy OG 59, which left Liverpool on Apr. 15-1941 (see ships in all OG convoys). No destination is given for her, but I'm not sure that she was actually bound for Gibraltar; she may have left this convoy at some point, because in May that year she's listed, with Admiralty fuel for Clyde, in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 127 (having joined from Bermuda). The following month she shows up in Convoy OB 334, which left Liverpool on June 11 and arrived Halifax on the 25th - Presidnet de Vogue, however, was bound for Curacao on that occasion (again, see the external link provided at the end of this page). She returned to the U.K. in July in Convoy HX 139, carrying crude oil for Clyde, and the following month she's listed as bound for Trinidad with the westbound Convoy ON 5, leaving Liverpool on Aug. 6-1941. According to A. Hague she later joined Convoy HX 149, which departed Halifax on Sept. 10-1941 and arrived Liverpool on the 25th. In Oct.-1941 we find her in station 53 of the westbound Convoy ON 26, destination Curacao - several Norwegian ships took part in these convoys, as will be seen when following the links.

1942-1943:

She's listed in Convoy SC 97 in Aug./Sept.-1942 (in which the Norwegian Bronxville was sunk), then returned to New York with the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 137*, which left Liverpool on Oct. 9 and arrived New York on the 29th. In Dec.-1942 she sailed in HX 218 from New York City, bound for Clyde, station 22. Meanwhile, the North Africa landings had taken place, and only a few days after arrival U.K. towards the end of that month, we find her in Convoy KMS 6, in which Akabahra was sunk; the Norwegian Athos and Belnor also took part in this convoy.

President de Vogue returned to the U.K. in Febr.-1943 with Convoy MKS 7. In Apr. that year she joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 179*, departing Liverpool on Apr. 18-1943, arriving New York on May 6, heading back to the U.K. later that month with Convoy HX 239, which departed New York on May 13 and arrived Liverpool on the 28th. Her destination is given as Londonderry, cargo of aviation fuel, sailing in station 52. As will be seen by following the link, she was in the company of several other Norwegian ships. At the beginning of the following month we find her, with no voyage information, in the westbound Convoy ON 187* (departure Liverpool June 1, arrival New York June 15).

It now looks she headed to the other part of the world again*, because at the end of Aug. that year she's said to have made a voyage from Alexandria to Malta with Convoy MKS 23 (scroll down to the second table on that page). She's also listed as bound from Malta to Port Said in Convoy KMS 24* (convoy departed Gibraltar on Aug. 30, arrived Port Said Sept. 10-1943). She then made another voyage from Malta to Port Said, Convoy KMS 27* (left Gibraltar Sept. 29, arrived Port Said Oct. 11). She then returned to the U.S. again (Convoy GUS 22; see link below)

* In fact, the external site already mentioned lists her as bound for Algiers in Convoy UGS 11, which departed Hampton Roads on June 27-1943 (final destination for this convoy was Port Said, but as will be seen, several ships had other destinations and left the convoy en route, while others joined). In Nov.-1943 she's said to have made a voyage from Bizerta to the U.S. with Convoy GUS 22.

* All the ON convoys mentioned here are available and will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, along with further details on each. In the meantime, please go to these convoys in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. All the KMS and MKS convoys will be also be added, but for now, please see the section listing ships in all KMS convoys, and ships in all MKS convoys.

1944-1945:

In March-1944 she sailed in the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 283, returning the following month with the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 231* along with 14 other Norwegian ships, namely Bernhard, Ferncourt, Haakon Hauan, Spinanger, Østhav, Solstad, Idefjord, Vav, Heranger, Kong Haakon VII, Thorsholm, Skaraas, Høyanger and Nordanger, all listed on this website - use the alphabet index at the bottom of this page to find more details on them. This convoy departed Liverpool on Apr. 7 and arrived New York on the 24th - no destination is given for President de Vogue.

She's now listed as bound for Casablanca in Convoy UGS 41 (external link), which left Hampton Roads on May 3-1944.

At the beginning of 1944 German bombers were a serious threat to allied shipping in the Mediterranean. About 100 modern bombers were stationed in the South of France, and though the ships were better protected by this time (allied aircraft were on patrol day and night, several squadrons stationed in North Africa were always ready for action, in addition to other protective measures), several convoys were attacked in the first half of the year.

On May 30-1944 two convoys consisting of close to 150 ships sailed close to each other near Cape Bengut, when an air attack took place. The 3 Norwegian ships Liss, Marathon and President de Vogue (in station 103) were in Convoy KMS 51*, which received the brunt of the attack, but all escaped unharmed (President de Vogue is listed as bound for Port Said with this convoy, which left Gibraltar May 28, arrived Port Said June 9). The British Nordeflinge (station 14?) was hit and sunk with the loss of 12 men.

The following month President de Vogue is said to have made a voyage from Augusta to Port Said in Convoy KMS 54* (departed Gibraltar June 23-1944, arrived Port Said July 3), then went back to Augusta with Convoy MKS 55* (left Port Said July 8). In Sept. she's listed as voyaging from Augusta to Algiers in Convoy MKS 63*.

She must have headed back to the U.S. again shortly thereafter*, because at the end of Nov.-1944 I have her in the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 323 (she had been cancelled from the previous convoy, HX 322); again, follow the links for further info. New Years Eve that year were spent at sea while in the westbound Convoy ON 275*, which departed Liverpool on Dec. 28-1944 and arrived New York on Jan. 13-1945.

* In fact, checking with the external site again, we find her in Convoy GUS 54, which had originated in Port Said on Oct. 2-1944 and arrived Hampton Roads on the 28th. Her voyage is indeed given as "Algiers to U.S.A.". (Note that the site also has her in several other GUS convoys in 1943-1944 - namely GUS 16, GUS 20, and GUS 43 - follow the instructions provided at the end of this page. Be sure to pay attention to her voyage information, because she did not travel all the way to the U.S. with these convoys). She's also listed in a few HA convoys in this time period.

She subsequently joined Convoy HX 333 later that month (Jan.-1945) in order to return to the U.K., and in Febr.-1945 she's listed (with no voyage information) in the westbound Convoy ON 283*, departing Liverpool on Febr. 5, arriving New York on the 27th. Going back to the external site already mentioned, we now find her in Convoy HX 342, which left New York on March 4-1945 and arrived Liverpool on he 19th. Just a few days later she joined the westbound Convoy ON 292* (departure Southend March 22, arrival New York Apr. 8), subsequently joining Convoy HX 350, leaving New York on Apr. 13, arriving Liverpool on Apr. 28. These 2 HX convoys are not available on my own site, but I've linked directly to them further down on this page.

* Another reminder that all the ON convoys mentioned here will be added to individual pages on this site; in the meantime, the ships sailing in them are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. See also the section listing ships in all KMS convoys, and ships in all MKS convoys.

The Warsailor Stories page that I've already mentioned states that President de Vogue was in Glasgow on May 8-1945 (having arrived there with a cargo from Abadan, according to the author of the story), getting ready to go to Murmansk. However, since the war was now over and Norway was free, she was instead sent to Stavanger, Norway, later to Kristiansand and Fagerstrand, before heading to Aruba, where she loaded a cargo for Baltimore. In Baltimore she spent some time at a yard, with the intention of going to the Mediterranean, but while she was still at the yard, Japan surrendered, so after having been re-painted and all her armament had been removed, she went back to Abadan, where she took on board a cargo which was unloaded in Swansea, then back to Stavanger and the yard there (Rosenberg).

POST WAR:

Renamed Bergesund on March 7-1947. Sold in Nov.-1949 to Kristiansands Tankrederi A/S (Einar Rasmussen), Kristiansand and renamed Polykarp. Fitted in Jan.-1955 with 2 new 6 cyl. 2 S.C.S.A. oil engines totalling 4770 bhp (Burmeister & Wains Maskin- og Skibsbyggeri, Copenhagen). Service speed 13.5 knots. Sold to Fourseas Enterprise Company and broken up in Hong Kong, commencing June 4-1963.

Related external links:
SL convoys and OS/KMS Convoys - The site also has a section for OB (& OA) convoys among several others (OB 279, in which President de Vogue is listed, is included), and a very useful Multi-Convoy Web Search feature - here's the main page. KMS 51 mentioned above is also included, but Liss, Marathon and President de Vogue are not mentioned. This is because they had not sailed with OS 77/KMS 51 from the U.K. (Nordeflinge had stopped at Gibraltar and was en route to Taranto when sunk).

Please note also that by going to this section of the same site and clicking on "Ship Search", using "President de Vogue" as keywords (or "Vogue" only), some convoys that are not mentioned in my own text will come up. Here are OB 334, HX 342, and HX 350, all mentioned in my text above.

Stavern Memorial commemorations - This website claims that this ship was torpedoed in the Atlantic on Dec. 26-1942 (she's listed as President Vogue) - if this is correct (though I have not seen this mentioned anywhere else) she obviously didn't sink. Mechanic Karl Magnus Heske is mentioned as having died in this attack, and seaman Georg William Bekker is said to have died in Edinburgh on June 7-1945 due to a "war related accident". I looked them up in "Våre falne", which lists Norwegian WW II casualties and states that Karl Magnus Heske had joined Charles Racine in 1939, survived her sinking in March-1942 (however, he's not mentioned in crew list for that ship), and served as a motorman on President de Vogue, died on Dec. 26-1942 in the Atlantic, cause not given. Georg Bekker's middle name is given as Vilhelm, and it simply states that he served on several ships, was torpedoed and taken to a hospital in Edinburgh, where he died about 6 months later, on June 7-1945. His brother, Stefan Martin Bekker served as boatswain on Ranja, and died when that ship was lost (is indeed included in crew list for that ship).