M/T Solsten

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

This external site has a picture of Solsten.

Misc. Convoy Voyages:

Solsten is listed in Convoy HX 45 in May/June-1940 (having been cancelled from the previous convoy, HX 44). She had a cargo of petrol for Milford Haven, and joined with the Bermuda portion (BHX 45).

In Nov.-1940 she was scheduled for the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 11 (in which Bruse and Salonica were sunk), but did not sail, and does not show up again till Convoy SC 14 at the end of that month, bound for London.

In March-1941 she sailed in Convoy HX 113, again joining from Bermuda. On this occasioan she had a cargo of gasolene and kerosene and was bound for Milford Haven and Plymouth, taking station 42 of the combined convoy. A couple of months later, in May-1941 she was scheduled for the Bermuda portion of Convoy HX 129, but cancelled, though got away on June 6 with Convoy HX 131, bound for Manchester with gasoline in station 62 (actually listed in the Halifax section). Later that year, in Oct./Nov.-1941, we find her in station 34 of the westbound Convoy ON 30, which left Liverpool on Oct. 26. Her destination is given as Halifax. Already on Nov. 16 she's listed as returning to the U.K. with the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 55, subsequently joining the westbound Convoy ON 52* at the end of Dec.-1941.

In Febr.-1942 she was in Convoy SC 72, which departed Halifax on Febr. 28 and arrived Liverpool on March 17 (may have cancelled from the previous convoy, SC 71, but not sure). At the end of March she's listed as bound for Aruba with the westbound Convoy ON 81*.

The first external website that I've linked to below has Solsten in station 83 of Convoy SL 111/SLF 111, which departed Freetown on May 24-1942 and arrived Liverpool on June 16. The SLF section detached on June 8 and arrived Liverpool on the 13th, but Solsten, bound for Manchester with a cargo of gasolene, was in the slow portion. Other Norwegian ships listed are Havkong, Sandanger, Skandinavia and Petter II. In the middle of July that year she joined the westbound Convoy ON 113*, bound for New York. There's an article about Convoy ON 113 available at the second external website below. According to this article, Solsten disrupted an attack from U-552 "with accurate gunfire which forced 'a sharp blast of air' in the faces of the sub's bridge crew". The Norwegian Harpefjell is also mentioned in the article, which has a lot of details on this convoy. ON 113 had departed Liverpool on July 17-1942 and lost 3 ships, namely the British Broompark, Empire Rainbow and Pacific Pioneer, while British Merit was damaged.

Solsten is also listed in the westbound Convoy ON 140* in Oct.-1942 - no destination is given on that occasion. In Dec. that year we find her in Convoy ON 148*, bound for New York. This convoy had left Liverpool on Nov. 23-1942, and arrived New York on Dec. 13.

In May-1943 Solsten is listed in station 43 of Convoy SC 132 from Halifax to the U.K., returning the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 189*, and at the end of July she went back to the U.K. with Convoy SC 138. At the end of Aug. she's listed as bound for New York with the westbound Convoy ON 199* (left Liverpool on Aug. 26-1943, arrived New York on Sept. 9), in Oct. she appears in the eastbound Convoy SC 144, and at the beginning of Dec. that same year she shows up in Convoy RU 99 from Reykjavik to the U.K. Her destination is given as Manchester, cargo of herring oil.

In March-1944 she sailed in the westbound Convoy ONS 31*, in Apr.-1944 she joined the slow Convoy SC 157; her destination is given as Modewheel, then in May she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 236*. Early in June that year she's listed as bound for Heysham with the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 294, returning across the ocean later that month with Convoy ON 242*.

* All the ON convoys mentioned here are available and will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, along with further details on each. In the meantime, please go to these convoys in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. ONS 31 is also available - see this page listing ships in all ONS convoys.

Related external links:
SL Convoys - The site also has a section for the OS and OS/KMS convoys, as well as the OB convoys and Russian convoys (among several others), and a very useful Multi-Convoy Web Search feature - here's the main page. As can be seen, Solsten is listed in SL 111/SLF 111.

The Battle for Convoy ON 113 - A very detailed description of this convoy battle (a section of Rob Fisher's Home Page).

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

Rafen & Loennechen had another Solsten post war, built in Glasgow 1954 - the Clydebuilt Ships website has some details on this ship.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: Roger W. Jordan - and misc.