M/S Primero
Updated Febr. 2-2009

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

Crew List

Source: Historical Department, MAN B&W Diesel, Copenhagen, who also sent me this picture from her launch.
(Size and quality of all pics have been reduced to save space).

Some Convoy Voyages:

As will be seen when going to Page 1 above, Primero was on her way from Narvik, Norway to Baltimore when Norway was invaded by the Germans on Apr. 9-1940; she arrived Baltimore on Apr. 17.

Later that year, she's listed in Convoy SL 51, departing Freetown on Oct. 12-1940, arriving Oban Oct. 31; according to the archive document mentioned above, she left Freetown on Oct. 9 and arrived Clyde Nov. 1. With destination Melbourne, she's also included in Convoy OB 263, originating in Liverpool on Dec. 23-1940, dispersed on the 27th. Primero arrived Melbourne (via Cristobal) on Febr. 22, having started out from Oban on Christmas Eve. The external website that I've linked to below has the names of other ships in these convoys, some of which were Norwegian.

She was scheduled for the Bermuda portion of Convoy HX 131 in June-1941, but did not sail. She was also cancelled from HX 132, but subsequently joined (B)HX 133 (sailing from Bermuda, June 14-1941). However, she was ordered to St. John's, N.F. on June 20 after having collided with City of Oxford (follow link for details). This was the convoy in which Soløy and Vigrid were sunk, and Kongsgaard was torpedoed and damaged. Primero later joined Convoy HX 143, together with the Norwegian Thorshavn, Mosli, Andrea Brøvig, Katy, Ravnefjell, Carmelfjell, Salamis, Belinda, Benwood and Petter. HX 143 departed Halifax on Aug. 5-1941, but judging from Page 1 of the archive documents, it looks like Primero joined this convoy from St. John's, having left on Aug. 9.

Together with the Norwegian Jenny, she's also listed in Convoy OS 8, which left Liverpool on Oct. 3-1941 and arrived Freetown on the 26th. Primero was in station 25, on a voyage from Milford to Freetown/Cape Town/Fremantle with coal. She returned the following month in Convoy SL 93, departing Freetown on Nov. 19, arriving Liverpool on Dec. 10. Primero was bound for Oban with iron ore, station 24, arriving Dec. 10. The captain's name is given as H. Christensen at that time. Para is also listed in this convoy, while Tore Jarl was scheduled but did not sail. Again, see the website below for more convoy information.

In Febr.-1942 we find her in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 64, which left Liverpool on Febr. 7 and arrived Halifax on the 24th; Primero, however, was bound for New York, where she arrived on Febr. 28, having sailed from Loch Ewe on the 7th - see Page 2. This convoy will be added to an individual page in my Convoys section; in the meantime, the ships sailing in it are named on this page. Bruse Jarl, Frontenac and Snar also took part, and the Norwegian corvettes Acanthus and Rose were among the escorts.

Related external links:
SL Convoys - The site also has a section for the OS convoys as well as the OB (& OA) convoys - here's the main page. Primero is listed in Convoy OB 263, OS 8 and SL 93. Note also that by going to this section of the same site and clicking on "Ship Search", using "Primero" as keyword, a few convoys that are not mentioned in the above narrative will come up. Here is SL 51, mentioned in my text.

Final Fate - 1942:

Torpedoed by U-67 (Müller-Stöckheim) at 13:40 GMT on Oct. 25-1942, position 13 38N 53 55W. She had been to The Middle East with tanks, trucks and ammunition, as well as a deck cargo of aircraft in crates, and was on her way back alone from Suez and Aden for New York (via Port of Spain for bunkers) with 1500 tons of salt ballast, having left Cape Town on Oct. 1. 2 men were killed in the engine room where the torpedo had hit (starboard amidships), causing her to list heavily to port, then to starboard. Both engines stopped immediately, and the equipment in the radio station was destroyed; alarms and phones were also rendered inoperable. The starboard lifeboats disappeared, No. 3 hatch was ripped open and water could be heard gushing in. Heavy gas and smoke came from the engine room, making it impossible to look for the 2 who had been on watch there. In fact, the captain and other crew members later reported that the strong odor and dark grey fumes made them very sick and caused their stomach muscles to become hard and knotted for 24 hours afterwards.

When orders to abandon ship were given at 13:55 she had a starboard list of 20°. As soon as the 2 lifeboats were clear of the ship, another torpedo detonated near No. 2 hatch at 14:10 GMT. By 17:00 she had a 40° list, sinking deeper and deeper by the stern. It was then clear she could not be saved, so the survivors set sail, landing at Toco Beach west of East Point at 12:15 GMT on Oct. 31. The locals there crowded around as the boats landed, supplying the men with plenty of food and cigarettes. That same day 35 of them were taken by bus to Port of Spain, while 2 remained in order to take the lifeboats to Port of Spain, arriving Nov. 3-1942.

The inquiry was held in New York on Nov. 17-1942 with the captain, the 1st engineer (who had come up from the engine room just before the torpedo struck), the 3rd mate (officer on watch on the bridge, together with the captain), and Able Seaman Skjærvik appearing. The latter had been at the helm at the time of attack, but had been on lookout previously and had seen what he believed to be a U-boat about 5-6 miles ahead of them at that time. He reported this to the officer on watch and the captain was called, but the object later disappeared.

It appears a diversion of course had been sent to Primero on Oct. 23, but not received by the ship.

Crew List:

Survivors:
Captain Hjalmar Johansen	1st Mate Norman Thomassen	2nd Mate Erling Olsen	3rd Mate Fritz Elffroth	Radio Operator Sverre Hegvik	Carpenter Olaf Nordseth
Boatswain Konrad Gjerde	Able Seaman Kristian Jensen	Able Seaman Magnar Skjærvik	Able Seaman Henry Danielsen	Able Seaman Bjarne Bjerke	Able Seaman Kristian Skotland
Able Seaman Hans Tuft	Able Seaman/Gunner Leif Grunn	Ordinary Seaman Hans Hansen	Ordinary Seaman Thor Molteberg	Ordinary Seaman Kenneth Robinson (British? *)	1st Engineer Herman Klock
2nd Engineer Johan Olsen	3rd Engineer Ingvald Herland	Repairman Albert Abrahamsen	Mechanic Otto Aas	Mechanic Charles Bersaas	Mechanic Johan Lindgjerdet
Mechanic Georg Ellingsen	Mechanic Leif Haugen	Oiler William Gilbert (British? *)	Oiler Søren Olsen	Steward Bjarne Hansen	Cook Edvard Edvardsen
Galley Boy Reidar Scharning	Mess Boy Ng Tai Lop (Chinese)	Mess Boy Malcolm Collison (British)	Mess Boy Basil Langveld (British)	Saloon Boy John Thomson (British)	Gunner Alfred Copson (British)
Gunner Edward Clarke (British? *)
Casualties
† Engine R. Assistant Harald Pettersen	† Oiler Maurice Millet ** (British)

Related external links:
Stavern Memorial commemorations - The site says that Mechanic Gustav Thoresen died on June 26-1940 following an accident on board. Checking with "Våre falne", which lists Norwegian casualties during WW II, I find that he drowned on that date when Primero was in the southern Pacific.

Operations information for U-67 - As will be seen, this U-boat was responsible for the loss of quite a few Norwegian ships.

U-67

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

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). Pre war details were supplied by Terry Whalebone in a posting to my Ship Forum.