M/T Salamis - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Please note that by following the instructions provided at the first external link at the end of this page, several convoy voyages that are not mentioned in this narrative will come up.

Salamis was in service between Singapore and Australia until July-1940. After having been equipped with a gun in Australia, she went to Abadan and from there to the U.K. via Cape Hope. From then on she was in continuous service in the Atlantic, at first to the U.K., then in the Mediterranean during the invasions there, before going back to the U.K. to prepare for the invasion of Normandy in June-1944.

She crossed the Atlantic 72 times, sailing a distance corresponding to the earth's circumference at the Equator 12 1/2 times.

1940:

Salamis is listed in Convoy SL 50, which departed Freetown on Oct. 3-1940 and arrived Liverpool on the 26th. The Norwegian Maridal, Beduin and Vivi are also listed. The following month she was scheduled for Convoy OB 246 (left Liverpool on Nov. 20), bound for Abadan, but did not sail, and shows up again in Convoy OB 249, which left Liverpool on Nov. 24 and dispersed on the 28th. All these convoys had several Norwegian ships - ref. external links at the end of this page. As mentioned, Salamis headed to Abadan, where she arrived on Jan. 10-1941, via Capetown and Port Elizabeth in Dec.-1940.

1941:

She subsequently went to Freetown, where she arrived from Capetown on Febr. 14-1941, then joined Convoy SL 66, departing Freetown on Febr. 18-1941, arriving Liverpool on March 14 (link at the end of this page). Later that month, she shows up among the ships in Convoy OG 57, which departed Liverpool on March 27-1941 and arrived Gibraltar on Apr. 11, but it looks like Salamis was bound for New York on that occasion, so she must have left the convoy at some point in order to proceed to her destination. See my page naming ships in all OG convoys. At the end of Apr.-1941 we find her in Convoy HX 122, bound for Manchester with benzine, then joined Convoy OB 323, which departed Liverpool on May 17-1941 and dispersed on the 25th, Salamis arriving Philadelphia independently on June 4 (ref. link at the end of this page). She headed back to the U.K. again later that month with Convoy HX 133, in which Soløy and Vigrid were sunk, and Kongsgaard was torpedoed and damaged. Salamis was bound for Mersey with Pool oil in station 63 of the convoy, which left Halifax on June 16. A number of other Norwegian ships also sailed in these convoys, as will be seen when following the links.

In July she's listed in Convoy OB 345, departing Liverpool on July 11-1941, arriving Halifax on the 26th; Salamis proceeded to New York, with arrival there on the 28th - again, see the external link provided at the end of this page. She subsequently joined Convoy HX 143 together with the Norwegian Thorshavn, Belinda, Mosli, Andrea Brøvig, Ravnefjell, Katy, Carmelfjell, Primero, Benwood and Petter. This convoy left Halifax on Aug. 5 and arrived Liverpool on the 20th. Salamis returned across the Atlantic early the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 13; her destination is given as Providence, station 34.

She headed back to the U.K. again with Convoy HX 152 (in station 84) along with the Norwegian Drammensfjord (106), Beth (44), Evita (93), Trondheim (95), Høegh Giant (92), and Storanger (83), all listed on this website. This convoy left Halifax on Sept. 28 and arrived Liverpool on Oct. 14. Towards the end of that month we find her in station 45 of the westbound Convoy ON 30, bound for Baytown, returning to the U.K. with Convoy HX 165, which left Halifax on Dec. 15-1941 and arrived Liverpool on the 30th.

1942:

In Jan.-1942 she's listed as bound for Curacao in the westbound Convoy ON 59*, station 43, returning to the U.K. in Febr. with the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 177 (left Halifax on Febr. 25-1942). In the middle of March she joined the westbound Convoy ON 77* in order to travel to New York, then headed back to the U.K. the following month with Convoy HX 184. At the beginning of May we find her, with destination Houston, station 83, in the westbound Convoy ON 91*, and in June/July she sailed in Convoy HX 196 from Halifax to the U.K. In the middle of July she joined the westbound Convoy ON 113*, bound for New York, station 44.

In Sept. that year she sailed to the U.K. in Convoy HX 209, returning with the westbound Convoy ON 141* towards the end of Oct., again bound for New York (station 42). She was one of many Norwegian ships in Convoy HX 216, which left New York City on Nov. 19-1942 and arrived Liverpool on Dec. 6. Salamis was bound for Stanlow with gasoline and sailed in station 74. She left again already on Dec. 11 with Convoy ON 153, in ballast for New York, station 32.

Salamis took part in the Torch operations, which had commenced in Nov.-1942 (my text under Athos has a list of other Norwegian ships involved).

1943:

In Apr.-1943, she was scheduled for Convoy HX 235 from New York, but instead joined the next convoy, HX 236, which arrived Liverpool on May 9, having departed New York on Apr. 24. She headed back to New York in the westbound Convoy ON 184* in the middle of May, and in June she can be found in Convoy HX 243, leaving New York City on June 7, arriving Liverpool on the 21st. Her destination is again given as Stanlow, and she had station 93 of the convoy. At the end of that month she joined the westbound Convoy ON 191* in order to go back to New York, and in Sept.-1943 we find her in station 93 of Convoy HX 256, bound for Avonmouth (having made a voyage to Casablanca and back to the U.S. in between). About a week after arrival U.K. with this convoy, she returned to New York with the westbound Convoy ON 204*.

* All the ON convoys mentioned in the paragraphs above will be added to individual pages my Convoys section in due course, with more information on each. In the meantime, see the section naming ships in all ON convoys. All of them included several Norwegian ships. More details on all the other Norwegian ships mentioned here can be found with the help of the alphabet index at the end of this page, or go to the Master Ship Index.

Salamis was at Bari on that horrendous night of Dec. 2-1943, described on my page about Bollsta. Salamis was one of the lucky few that only received minor damages (later repaired at Suez, where the cook was admitted to a hospital for his injuries). The British Lars Kruse (ex Danish) was set on fire and lost 18 men, while the rest of the crew was injured and taken on board a Norwegian ship, which appears to have been Salamis. My text for Bollsta includes a list of ships damaged or sunk and the names of the other Norwegian ships present, as well as several links to more info on the incident.

1944:

In Jan.-1944 she travelled to Abadan, Aden, Suez and Alexandria, then made a voyage from Alexandria to Malta with Convoy MKS 39, which originated in Port Said on Jan. 30-1944 and arrived Gibraltar on Febr. 11 (Salamis arrived Malta on Febr. 5). She's also listed in Convoy MKS 40, voyage Malta to Bizerta only - convoy originated in Port Said on Febr. 9 and arrived Gibraltar on the 21st; Salamis had left Malta on Febr. 15 and arrived Bizerta on the 17th. Both these convoys are available and will be added to my convoys section; for now, the ships sailing in them are named in the section listing ships in all MKS convoys. As will be seen, other Norwegian ships are also included. From Bizerta, Salamis subsequently joined Convoy GUS 31 in order to travel to New York, where she arrived on March 18.

In May-1944 she was in Convoy UGS 40, which had departed Hampton Roads on Apr. 23 and arrived Port Said on May 19; Salamis' destination was Augusta. (The Norwegian M/S Fernbrook was also in this convoy). The convoy was followed by German aircraft from the time it passed Gibraltar on the 9th, and in the evening of May 11, off Cape Bengut, they attacked in wave after wave, but had to pull back without having scored (many aircraft were lost). Salamis, again bound for Augusta from the U.S., was also in Convoy UGS 46 in July-1944 which was also the victim of sporadic air attack (east of Oran), but again no damage resulted to any of the ships. Both these convoys are available at the first external website that I've linked to at the end of this page (the site has also included her in several other UGS and returning GUS convoys).

1945:

Going back to the external website below we find her in station 133 of Convoy HX 354, which left New York on May 3-1945 and arrived Liverpool on the 18th. In other words, VE Day was celebrated at sea. Several Norwegian ships took part, as will be seen when following the link provided. This convoy is not available among the HX convoys included on my own site. She subsequently made a voyage to Antwerp and back, before joining the westbound Convoy ON 305 - will also be added to my Convoys section; see ON 305 on this page.

Related external links:
SL Convoys - There's also a section on OB convoys. As will be seen, Salamis is mentioned in Convoy SL 50, OB 246 and OB 249. Note also that by going to this section of the same site and clicking on "Ship Search", using "Salamis" as keyword, several convoys that are not mentioned in my own text will come up - please be aware, however, that there was also an escort vessel by this name. Here are SL 66, OB 323, OB 345, and HX 354, all mentioned in the above narrative.

Ships in UGS 40, including escorts. A section of the Encyclopedia of WW 2 Naval Battles.

This company had previously had another Salamis which was sold to Finland in 1939.