Manager: Sigvald Bergesen, Stavanger
Tonnage: 9103 gt.

Built in Malmö, Sweden in 1932.

Related item on this website:
A Guestbook message from someone whose granduncle was on board this ship, Trygve Jøsang. Here's another message from the same poster.

Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Page 1 | Page 2

WW II:

According to documents above, President Herrenschmidt sailed from Cristobal on Apr. 9-1940, the day of the German invasion of Norway. She arrived Donges on Apr. 27, heading back to Cristobal on the 30th.

This was 1 of the 26 Norwegian ships interned in North and West Africa 1940-1942 - see Interned Ships for a list of all 26.

As is the case for most of the interned ships, there's quite a bit of conflicting dates and info to choose from, as follows:

According to "Sjømann - lang vakt" (Book 3 of "Handelsflåten i krig") by Guri Hjeltnes she had a crew of 36 Norwegians, 2 died, 18 escaped, 9 went home. She says the ship was sent from Oran to Martigues near Marseilles (agrees with Page 2), as the only Norwegian ship to be sent to a port in France. 23 of the crew were interned on board the ship S/S Asie in Marseilles.

J. R. Hegland's "Nortraships flåte" has it the other way around, saying she was interned on June 24-1940, possibly in Marseilles and later moved to Oran, then requisitioned Sept. 9-1943.

A French visitor to my site has told me that she sailed from Casablanca in Convoy 12-K under French escort on June 23-1940 and arrived Oran on June 25. This convoy is available via the external link provided at the end of this page (based on Arnold Hague's database), and she's indeed included.

"Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig" says she was retained in Oran ca. June 24-1940, moved to L'Etang de Berre on July 18-1940, seized by Vichy French authorities on June 21-1941, reported in Marseilles harbour in Nov.-1942. See also Page 1.

Birger Dannevig's "Skip og menn" says she was seized by the Vichy French on June 21-1941, sunk in Naples May 30-1943.

Roger Jordan's "The World's Merchant Fleets 1939" says she was seized in Oran June 22-1940 by the Germans(?), sailed with the name Toni II, torpedoed by the British submarine HMS Tribune March 22-1943, 39 14N 15 59E and towed to Naples, bombed by allied aircraft May 30-1943, burnt out, Naples, scuttled in Naples Sept. 9-1943.

A visitor to my website, Platon Alexiades, Canada, who has her war diary from the National Archives (Washington) confirms that she still had the name President Herrenschmidt when she was torpedoed, adding that she was hit astern in 39 02N 16 00E and taken in tow by the Italian torpedoboat Sirio (her escort) and later by tugs Salvatore Primo and Athleto back to Naples. There's more on this attack at the last external website that I've linked to below.

POST WAR:

Raised in 1946 and repaired. Sold in 1948 and renamed Vampa (Italian). Laid up at Genoa from Aug. 6-1960. Sold by Citom-Sorsma Navigazione Ricuperi e Salvataggi SpA to Ilva-Alta Forni Acciaieri d'Italia, Genoa, during Sept.-1960, to be broken up.

Related external links:
Convoy 12 K

HMS Tribune - Uboat.net's info for this sub. The attack on President Herrenschmidt is mentioned (scroll down to March 22-1943).