M/T Skotaas
Updated June 30-2012

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

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Skotaas had returned to the U.S. again (from Malta) in Febr./March-1944 (Convoy GUS 30, link in table above - see also Page 4). She had arrived New York on March 8, remaining there for several weeks. She was scheduled for the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 288 on Apr. 18 (Commodore was in Laurits Swenson, while Emma Bakke's captain served as Vice Commodore), but instead proceeded to Norfolk on Apr. 20, then returned to New York, joining the next convoy on Apr. 27, HX 289, serving as Escort Oiler. Her destination is given as Clyde and Scapa; she arrived Clyde on May 14, Scapa on the 17th, and later that month we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 238*, which originated in Liverpool on May 26 (Skotaas sailed from Londonderry May 27) and arrived New York June 9, Skotaas serving as Escort Oiler again (Commodore was in Bralanta). On June 24, she headed back to the U.K. in Convoy HX 297, for which the Norwegian Brimanger acted as Commodore Vessel. Skotaas served as Escort Oiler and also had 70 depth charges on board, according to A. Hague. She was bound for Mersey, Milford Haven and Portland, arriving the latter on July 15, later joining the westbound Convoy ON 246* (from Liverpool July 25, to New York Aug. 9 - Skotaas joined from Belfast Lough), again serving as Escort Oiler; Brimanger served as Commodore Vessel again.

Skotaas started on her return voyage already on Aug. 11, joining Convoy HX 303 with 16 other Norwegian ships, namely Tanafjord, Dalfonn, Noravind, Atlantic, Sommerstad, Romulus, Geisha (Vice Commodore ship), Thorhild, Petter, Stirlingville, Rena, Para, Titanian, Mui Hock, Fjordaas and Norse Lady. Some of these ships, including Skotaas, later returned with Convoy ON 252*, originating in Liverpool on Sept. 7, arriving New York on the 22nd; Skotaas arrived Boston on Sept. 21, having started out from Loch Ewe on the 7th. This time, Geisha served as Commodore Vessel, and Acanthus, Buttercup, Rose and Tunsberg Castle are named among the escorts - see ON convoy escorts (note that Buttercup did not come under the Norwegian flag until after the loss of Tunsberg Castle in Dec.-1944). On Oct. 4-1944, she's listed in the slow Convoy SC 158 from Halifax (Escort Oiler), and later that month she can be found in the westbound Convoy ON 262* (from Southend Oct. 24, to New York Nov. 10 - Skotaas joined from Clyde, again serving as Escort Oiler. See also Page 4). She commenced her return voyage in Convoy HX 323 from New York on Nov. 29 (Escort Oiler), for which the Norwegian Samuel Bakke was Commodore ship, and Laurits Swenson served as the Vice Commodore's ship. Skotaas arrived Clyde on Dec. 13, and her last westbound voyage that year was made in Convoy ON 273*, which departed Southend on Dec. 18-1944 and arrived New York Jan. 4-1945; Skotaas, however, arrived Philadelphia on Jan. 5, having started out from Clyde Dec. 19.

She was scheduled for the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 334 on Jan. 23-1945, but did not sail. In fact, from Page 5 we learn that she instead made a voyage to Fayal and back to the U.S. in this time period; convoy information for these voyages can be found in Hague's Voyage Record above. She did not go back to the U.K. again until March 9, when she joined Convoy HX 343* from New York; Skotaas arrived Sheerness on the March 26, having served as Escort Oiler again, and also carried 60 depth charges. She returned to New York the following month, having joined Convoy ON 294*, which left Southend on Apr. 1 and arrived New York Apr. 20 (Escort Oiler). Acanthus and Buttercup are named among the escorts. A. Hague now has Skotaas returning to the U.K. in Convoy HX 353*, which left New York on Apr. 29 and arrived Liverpool May 15; she arrived Plymouth on the 14th - in other words, VE Day had been celebrated at sea. She served as Escort Oiler, and also carried 60 depth charges. Commodore was in Samuel Bakke.

Her last convoy voyage of the war was made in Convoy ON 303*, originating in Liverpool on May 17, arriving New York June 2. As so often before, she served as Escort Oiler. A. Hague says she was damaged in a collision on May 27. I have no further details on this, except that the Commodore Vessel Villanger was also involved in a collison that same day, but not sure if that was with Skotaas or another ship; the American John. B. Hood is said to have collided that day as well. Skotaas was in station 72, Villanger in 71, so it's more likely these 2 collided (the American ship was in station 56 - the British Empire MacMahon in station 64 is also said to have arrived with collision damage, as are other ships). I do have a snippet of information (from "Skip og menn", Birger Dannevig) saying that her most dangerous moment of the entire war took place near New Foundland on May 7-1945 when the convoy she was in encountered thick fog and was ordered to alter course 90° to avoid a collision with icebergs. 22 ships are said to have collided in a matter of minutes, but no major harm was done. As already mentioned, the date for this incident is given as May 7, and if this is correct, it fits better with the dates for her voyage in Convoy HX 353, but there's no mention of collisions in this convoy, while several ships collided in ON 303 - it's possible the 2 in the date has been accidentally omitted, becoming May 7 instead of May 27. As will be seen when going back to Page 5 of the archive documents, she subsequently spent quite a long time in New York, not leaving again until July 18, so perhaps some repairs had been necessary? (The document shows her voyages to Apr.-1946).

From the summer of 1945, Skotaas made voyages New York-Houston-Toulon-Marseilles-Abadan-Bombay-Abadan-Sydney-Newcastle (N.S.W.)-Gladstone-Cairns-Abadan-Freemantle-Abadan-Colombo-Abadan-Singapore-Abadan – this info from Dag Midbøe, a crew member at the time; see also Leiv Eiriksson, as well as Page 5.

* The ON convoys will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, along with further details on each. In the meantime, the ships sailing in them (and escorts) are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. As will be seen, they all had several Norwegian ships. The KMS convoys will also be added, but for now, please see ships in all KMS convoys. Additionally, the entire HX series will be updated and completed (including the already existing convoys - some have already been updated), see ships in all HX convoys.

More details on all the other Norwegian ships named 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:

Sold in 1956 to NV Scheepvaart Maatschappij 'Mineral' (manager Wm H Muller & Co's Transport Maatschappij NV, Rotterdam), converted to ore carrier, and renamed Louis Lantz. Sold to Belgian breakers and arrived Bruges on Oct. 22-1960 to be broken up.

Back to Skotaas on the "Ships starting with S" page.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague, E-mails from R. W. Jordan and misc. as named within text above - (ref. My sources).