D/S Skarv - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

D/S Skarv
Updated March 12-2010

To Skarv on the "Ships starting with S" page.

Received from Kåre B. Kristiansen, Norway (whose grandfather served on Fagersten, among several others).

Manager: Rich. Otter, Oslo
Tonnage: 930 (852?) gt

Delivered in July-1923 from Porsgrunds Mek. Værksted A/S, Porsgrunn (82) as cargo vessel Frank to A/S Frank (Chr. J. Reim, Porsgrunn). Steel hull, "Porsgrunn-type" (engine aft and bridge amidships), 212' x 32.2' x 12.4', 930 gt, 1300 tdwt, Tripple Expansion (Porsgrunds) 103nhp, 9 knots. Sold in July-1929 to Rederi-AB Alfhem (Sam Andersson), Gothenburg. Sold in Sept.-1932 to Otters Rederi A/S (Rich. Otter), renamed Skarv.

The above documents were helter-skelter, but I believe I've managed to get them in the correct order.

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

Voyage Record
From Jan.-1940 to May-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 (where the "Convoy" column is left blank it means that convoy is not known). Also, several voyages are missing.

	Departure	From	To	Arrival	Convoy	Remarks
1940	Jan. 1	Norwegian Waters	Methil	Jan. 4	HN 6	–
	Febr. 16	Norwegian Waters	Methil	Febr. 19	HN 12	–
	Febr. 27	Tyne	Methil	Febr. 28	TM 15	Convoy available via this page (external link)
	March 3	Methil	Norwegian Waters	March 7	ON 17	–
	March 18	Norwegian Waters	Methil	March 22	HN 20	Missing voyages, Page 1
	May 16	Sunderland	Southend	May 18	FS 172	Compare w/Page 1 above. Convoy available at FS convoys (external link) Missing voyages, Page 1
	Sept. 29	Clyde	Methil	Oct. 3	WN 19F	Convoy available at WN convoys (external link)
	Oct. 5	Methil	Tyne	Oct. 6	FS 301	Convoy available at FS convoys (external link)
	Oct. 7	Tyne	Southend	Oct. 9	FS 303	Convoy available at link above (see also Page 1)
	Oct. 19	Southend	Methil	Oct. 21	FN 312	Convoy available at FN convoys (external link)
	Oct. 24	Methil	–	–	OA 234	Convoy available at OA 234 Rendezvoused w/OB 234, Oct. 26. (external links) Page 1 gives arrival Liverpool, Oct. 28. Also, missing movements.
1941	Jan. 4	Methil	Southend	Jan. 6	FS 379	Convoy available at FS convoys (external link)
?	Jan. 7	Methil	Southend	Jan. 9	FS 381	Convoy available at link above (compare w/Page 1)
	Jan. 24	Methil	Oban	Jan. 29	EN 61/1	Did not sail. Convoy available at EN convoys (external link)
	Jan. 31	Methil	Oban?	Febr. 4	EN 65/1	Convoy available at link above Arrived Milford Haven, Febr. 7 See Page 2 (also, missing movements).
	Febr. 22	Clyde	Methil	Febr. 26	WN 89	Convoy available at WN convoys (external link) Missing movements, Page 2.
	March 18	Methil	Oban?*	March 22	EN 88/1	Convoy available at EN convoys (external link) *Page 2 gives arrival Liverpool, March 23 (also, more missing movements).
	Apr. 22	Clyde	Methil	Apr. 25	WN 118	Convoy available at WN convoys (external link) Missing movements, Page 2.
	June 14	Clyde	Methil	June 17	WN 140	Convoy available at link above Missing movements: Page 2 & Page 3
	July 25	Clyde	Methil	July 30	WN 158	Convoy available at link above Missing movements, Page 3
	Aug. 18	Belfast Lough	Milford Haven	Aug. 19	BB 64	Convoy available at BB convoys (external link) Missing movements, Page 3
	Oct. 14	Oban	Methil	Oct. 17	WN 193	Convoy available at WN convoys (external link) Missing movements, Page 3
	Nov. 8	Methil	Oban?*	Nov. 11	EN 4	Convoy available at EN convoys (external link) *Page 4 gives arrival Liverpool, Nov 13 (also, missing 1941 movements).
1942	Jan. 1	Oban	Methil	Jan. 4	WN 226	Convoy available at WN convoys (external link) Missing movements, Page 4 above
	Jan. 24	Methil	Oban*	Jan. 27	EN 36	A. Hague says: Joined EN 38. Convoy available at EN convoys (external link) *Page 4 gives arrival Kirkwall, Jan. 27
	Jan. 27	Kirkwall	Oban*	Jan. 29	EN 38	A. Hague says: Joined from EN 36. Convoy available at link above. Page 4 gives arrival Belfast, Jan. 30. Missing movements: Page 4* & Page 5
	March 19	Oban	Methil	March 22	WN 260	Convoy available at WN convoys (external link) Missing movements, Page 5 above
	Apr. 9	Methil	Oban*	Apr. 11	EN 69	Convoy available at EN convoys (external link) *Page 5 gives arrival Liverpool, Apr. 13, Loch Ewe Apr. 27.
	Apr. 28	Loch Ewe	Methil	Apr. 30	WN 276	Convoy available at WN convoys (external link) Missing movements, Page 5
	May 11	Methil	Oban?*	May 13	EN 83	*For Preston? (Page 5). Convoy available at EN convoys (external link) Missing movements, Page 5.
	June 23	Loch Ewe	Methil	June 25	WN 300	Convoy available at WN convoys (external link) Missing movements: Page 5 & Page 6
	July 13	Methil	Silloth	July 15*	EN 110	*Page 6 gives arrival July 17. Convoy available at EN convoys (external link) Missing movements, Page 6.
	Aug. 7	Loch Ewe	Methil	Aug. 9	WN 319	Convoy available at WN convoys (external link) Missing movements, Page 6
	Aug. 22	Methil	Silloth	Aug. 24*	EN 127	Page 6 gives arrival Aug. 26. Convoy available at EN convoys (external link) Missing movements, Page 6*.
	Oct. 23	Oban	Methil	Oct. 26	WN 353	Convoy available at WN convoys (external link) Missing movements, Page 7
	Nov. 9	Methil	Belfast*	Nov. 11*	EN 160	*Page 7 gives arrival Stornoway Nov. 12, Belfast Nov. 15. Convoy available at EN convoys (external link)
	Nov. 25	Loch Ewe	Methil	Nov. 27	WN 365	Convoy available at WN convoys (external link) Missing movements, Page 7
	Dec. 6	Methil	Belfast	Dec. 8*	EN 170	*Page 7 gives arrival Dec. 11. Convoy available at EN convoys (external link) Missing movements, Page 7.
1943	Febr. 15	Loch Ewe?*	Stornoway	Febr. 16	WN 395	Earlier 1943 movements, Page 7 *From Liverpool, Febr. 9. Convoy available at WN convoys (external link)
	Febr. 16	Stornoway	Methil	Febr. 18	Independent	Missing movements, Page 7
	March 26	Loch Ewe	Methil	March 28	WN 408	Convoy available at link above Missing movements, Page 8
	Apr. 12	Methil	Clyde*	Apr. 14	EN 216	*Loch Ewe. Convoy available at EN convoys (external link) More missing movements, Page 8 above.
	June 15	Methil	Clyde*	June 17*	EN 243	Page 8 gives arrival Irvine, June 19 (to Clyde June 24). Convoy available at link above. Missing movements, Page 9*
	Aug. 17	Methil	Newport*	Aug. 19*	EN 269	Page 9 gives arrival Holyhead Aug. 20, Newport Aug. 22. Convoy available at link above. Missing 1943 movements: Page 9 & Page 10*.
1944	May 30	Barry	St Helens Roads	June 1	WRECKER	Earlier 1944 movements: Page 10 above & Page 11 Convoy available at Convoy Wrecker (external link)
	The above voyage is not included on Page 11. Note also that some of the following voyages are not detailed on the document and, therefore, comparison cannot be made and accuracy confirmed.
	June 11	Seine Bay	Fowey	June 12	FBC 1	Convoy available at FBC convoys (external link)
	June 15	Falmouth	Seine Bay	June 17	EBC 12	Convoy available at EBC convoys (external link)
	June 30	Fowey	Seine Bay	July 1	EBC 26	Convoy available at link above
	July 3	Portsmouth	Seine Bay	July 3	EBC 28	Convoy available at link above (see also Page 11).
	July 9	Barry	Seine Bay	July 11	EBC 36	Convoy available at link above
	July 19	Seine Bay	Fowey	July 20	FBC 31	Convoy available at FBC convoys (external link)
	July 23	Fowey	Seine Bay	July 24	EBC 49	Convoy available at EBC convoys (external link)
	Aug. 5	Seine Bay	Fowey*	Aug. 6	FBC 45	Convoy available at FBC convoys (external link) *Page 11 gives arrival Plymouth, Aug. 6.
	Aug. 12	Solent	Seine Bay	Aug. 12	EBC 68	Convoy available at EBC convoys (external link)
	Aug. 18	Seine Bay	Southampton	Aug. 19	FBC 58	Convoy available at FBC convoys (external link)
	Sept. 8	Solent	Seine Bay	Sept. 8	EBC 95	Convoy available at EBC convoys (external link)
	Sept. 13	Seine Bay	Southampton	Sept. 14	FBC 81	Convoy available at FBC convoys (external link) Missing movements: Page 11 & Page 12
	Dec. 6	St. Helens Roads	Seine Estuary	Dec. 7	–	Missing 1944 movements, Page 12
1945	Jan. 6	St. Helens Roads	Newport	Jan. 8	TBC 29	Earlier 1945 movements, Page 12. Convoy available at TBC convoys (external link) Missing movements, Page 12
	Jan. 14	Plymouth	Granville	Jan. 15	COC 50	Convoy available via this page (external link) Left Granville Jan. 19 (Page 12).
	Jan. 21	Cancale Roads	Port Talbot	Jan. 23	TBC 44	A. Hague says: Joined off Lizard. Convoy available at TBC convoys (external link) Left Port Talbot Jan. 28 (Page 12).
	Jan. 30	Plymouth	St Malo	Jan. 31	COC 65	Had arrived Plymouth Jan. 29 (Page 13). Convoy available via this page (external link)
	Febr. 3	St Malo	Barry	Febr. 5	–	Missing movements, Page 13.
?	Febr. 11	Milford Haven	Southend	Febr. 14	BTC 66	Convoy available at BTC convoys (external link)
	Febr. 13	Plymouth	St Malo	Febr. 14	COC 78	Convoy available via this page (external link)
	Febr. 16	St Malo	Falmouth	Febr. 17	–	–
	Febr. 18	Falmouth	Port Talbot	Febr. 19	TBC 71	Convoy available at TBC convoys (external link) Missing movements, Page 13
	Febr. 25	Plymouth	Granville	Febr. 26	COC 87	Convoy available via this page (external link)
	March 2	Granville	Mumbles	March 4	–	On to Port Talbot (Page 13)
?	March 18	Milford Haven	Southend	March 21	BTC 101	Convoy available at BTC convoys (external link)
	March 22	St. Helens Roads	Cherbourg	March 23	WVC 102	Convoy available via this page (external link) Missing voyages, Page 13.
	Apr. 7	Falmouth	Granville	Apr. 8	COC 128	Convoy available via link above
	Apr. 11	Granville	Falmouth	Apr. 12	–	–
	Apr. 12	Falmouth	Southend	Apr. 14	BTC 125	Convoy available at BTC convoys (external link) Missing movements: Page 13 & Page 14
	Apr. 25	Falmouth	St Malo	Apr. 26	COC 146	Convoy available via this page (external link)
	Apr. 30	St Malo	Falmouth	May 1	–	–
	May 2	Falmouth	Swansea	May 3	TBC 144	Convoy available at TBC convoys (external link) Missing movements, Page 14
	May 11	Cancale Roads	Falmouth	May 12	–	–
	May 12	Falmouth	Newport	May 13	TBC 154	Convoy available at link above. Subsequent voyages: Page 14, Page 15 & Page 16

Some Convoy Voyages:

Please follow the convoy links provided for more details - several Norwegian ships took part. 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.

Skarv is listed in Convoy HN 6 from Norway to the U.K. in Dec.-1939/Jan.-1940. Via Methil (Jan. 4) she's said to have arrived Shields on Jan. 7, with final destination Grimsby. She must have gone back to Norway again, because A. Hague has also included her in Convoy HN 12 from there on Febr. 16. Early in March, he has her in the U.K.-Norway Convoy ON 17, and later that month she's listed in the original Advance Sailing Telegram for Convoy HN 20 from Norway, bound for Sunderland in ballast. According to Page 1 of the archive documents, the intention was to return to Norway from Sunderland on Apr. 6, but due to the German invasion on Apr. 9, she was diverted to Boulogne, where she later arrived, via Methil, on May 7.

Apart from a couple of voyages to France in May and June that year, she was subsequently in service around the U.K., enduring many attacks by aircraft and E-boats.

With the Norwegian Elna E, she's listed in Convoy OA 234, departing Methil on Oct. 24-1940. On Oct. 26, this convoy joined up with Convoy OB 234, which also included Austvard and Grey County - ref. links provided in the Voyage Record. Skarv arrived Liverpool Oct. 28.

In May-1944, she was in Swansea, loading war stores for the invasion of Normandy. "Nortraships flåte" states she arrived June 7 and left again on June 11 on her first trip. According to a personal story I have found, Skarv was scheduled to be at Omaha an hour after the first soldiers had been landed. She also had on board about 100 American soldiers who were to be used for the unloading of cargoes. On her second trip to Omaha her crew learned that all(?) of these soldiers had died. Skarv made several trips back and forth to Omaha Beach. Her voyages in this period are shown on Page 11, but her trips to Normandy are not detailed. However, A. Hague has suggested some convoys for some of them in his Voyage Record above. Page 12 has the rest of her 1944 voyages, as well as some early 1945 voyages.

According to Page 16, she went home to Norway in Dec.-1945, and again in Jan.-1946, as well as in March that year.

More information on the other Norwegian ships mentioned above can be found with the help of the alphabet index at the end of this page, or go to the Master Ship Index.

POST WAR:

Converted to oil fuelling in Febr.-1952. Sold in Dec.-1953 to Holderness SS Co. Ltd., Hull and renamed Holdernain. Sold in 1963 to Cozrelwaves Ltd., Hull and renamed Emmanuela. Laid up at Trieste, Italy May 12-1963. Sold in Sept.-1964 to unknown breakers in Trieste for breaking up.