M/T Spinanger - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Misc. Convoy Voyages:

Spinanger rescued survivors from the British Arlington Court in 1939. This ship had been sunk by U-43 on Nov. 16, Convoy SL 7A.

She's listed among the ships in the Gibraltar-U.K. Convoy HGF 29 in May-1940, bound for Brest, where she arrived May 11. The folllowing month she joined Convoy OB 168, which left Liverpool on June 15, joined up with OA 168 from Southend 2 days later, forming Convoy OG 34F*, which arrived Gibraltar on June 24. Her destination is given as Abadan on that occasion. (See external links at the end of this text). According to Page 1 she arrived Abadan, via St. Vincent and Table Bay, on Aug. 6, having started out from Milford Haven on June 16.

In March/Apr.-1941 we find her with a cargo of fuel oil for Liverpool in station 62 of the slow Convoy SC 27, which left Halifax on March 30 and arrived Liverpool on Apr. 18 - escort's report is also available for this convoy (she had been cancelled from the previous convoy, SC 26, from which Helle was sunk). About a week later she's listed in Convoy OG 60*, departing Liverpool on Apr. 26-1941, arriving Gibraltar May 10; Spinanger, however, was bound for New York, where she arrived May 15, so would have left this convoy at some point in order to proceed to that destination. In July that year she sailed in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 138, bound for Clyde with Admiralty fuel, returning across the Atlantic the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 5, originating in Liverpool on Aug. 6-1941, dispersed on the 14th. Spinanger's destination is given as Baltimore on that occasion, where she arrived on Aug. 23.

In Nov.-1941 she shows up in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 54, and the following month she's listed, together with the Norwegian Bur, Chr. Th. Boe, Thorsholm and L. A. Christensen, in Convoy OS 14, departing Liverpool Dec. 13 (see the second external website that I've linked to below; Estrella and Sveve are also mentioned, but did not sail). Spinanger 's voyage information is given as Oban to Port Fortin in ballast, but note that she's also listed, with destination Trinidad, in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 45*, departing Liverpool on Dec. 9, dispersed on the 16th, and she could not have been in both. According to Page 2 she arrived New York on Dec. 31-1941, having sailed from Methil Roads Dec. 6.

In Febr.-1942 she can be found in the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 69, bound for Londonderry, station 42, arriving there Febr. 26. Going back to the external website again, she's mentioned in Convoy OS 22 the following month, scheduled to sail in station 45 from Belfast, but did not sail. In fact, she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 77*, departing Liverpool on March 17-1942, dispersed on the 28th. Going back to Page 2 of the archive docs, we see that she arrived New York on Apr. 1, having started out from Belfast March 18. In Apr.-1942 she was in Convoy SC 80 from Halifax (having been cancelled from the previous convoy, SC 79), as was the company's Hallanger, and they are both listed in Convoy OS 28, originating in Liverpool on May 12-1942, Spinanger voyaging from Belfast to Pointe a Pierre in ballast, station 35. (Hallanger, however, appears to have cancelled, because she's also listed in the next convoy - again, ref. the external link below). Spinanger is also listed in Convoy SC 99 from Halifax, leaving on Sept. 5-1942 (having been cancelled from the previous convoy, SC 98, at the end of Aug.).

Early in Apr.-1943 we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 177* (departure Liverpool Apr. 6, arrival New York Apr. 23; Spinanger joined from Londonderry), and in May she's listed among the ships in Convoy HX 237 from New York (see also Sandanger and Brand). By June she was back in New York, having arrived on June 7 with the westbound Convoy ON 186* (originated in Liverpool May 24), then joined Convoy HX 244 on June 15, bound for Clyde, station 92. She now appears in Convoy ON 191*, which left Liverpool July 1-1943 and arrived New York on the 15th, returning to the U.K. with Convoy HX 249, leaving New York on July 23. She headed back across the Atlantic on Aug. 27 with the westbound Convoy ON 199*, and arrived Philadelphia on Sept. 10 (see Page 3), and according to Arnold Hague, she subsequently returned in Convoy HX 257, departing New York on Sept. 16. This convoy is not included among the HX convoys listed on my own website, but I've linked directly to Hague's listing below. Just a few days after arrival we find her in Convoy ON 205* (departure Liverpool Oct. 5, arrival New York Oct. 23), returning in Convoy HX 264, which departed New York on Oct. 31-1943 - also available via the external link below. She arrived Londonderry on Nov. 17 and already on the 20th she sailed from there to join the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 212, and arrived Hampton Roads Dec. 5. The only other Norwegian ships in this convoy, except for the escorting corvettes Eglantine, Rose and Potentilla, were Vav, Fjordaas and Villanger. Spinanger spent the last day of 1943 at sea, en route to Heysham with Convoy HX 273, arriving her destination Jan. 16-1944.

She now joined Convoy ON 221*, which left Liverpool on Jan. 24-1944, but she returned to port, subsequently joining ON 222*, originating in Liverpool Jan. 30, arriving New York Febr. 16. She was scheduled for the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 280 on Febr. 20, but instead joined the next convoy on the 27th, HX 281, which arrived Liverpool on March 15. Her destination is again given as Heysham, where she arrived March 20. The following month she joined the westbound Convoy ON 231* along with 14 other Norwegian ships, namely Bernhard, Ferncourt, Haakon Hauan, Østhav, Vav, Solstad, Idefjord, President de Vogue, Heranger, Kong Haakon VII, Thorsholm, Skaraas, Høyanger and Nordanger, all listed on this website. This convoy departed Liverpool on Apr. 7, arriving New York on the 24th.

She went back to the U.K. in May-1944 with Convoy HX 290, and in June she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 241* (from Liverpool June 18, to New York July 2). In July she can be found in Convoy HX 299 from New York, returning in Convoy ON 247*, originating in Liverpool Aug. 2, arriving New York Aug. 15 (see also Page 4). Already on the 17th of that month she shows up in Convoy HX 304, bound for Londonderry and Belfast Dock, and early in Sept.-1944 we find her in Convoy ON 252* (originated Liverpool Sept. 7). In Oct.-1944 she shows up in the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 158, returning with ON 262* at the end of that month, and arrived Baltimore Nov. 11. She later joined Convoy HX 329 on Dec. 29 in order to return to the U.K. - see next paragraph.

* These convoys will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, with more information on each; in the meantime, the ships sailing in them are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys, and on the page for ships in all OG convoys.

Related external links:
The attack on Arlington Court

OB (& OA) convoys - OB 168 is included. There's also a section for the OS and OS/KMS Convoys and as can be seen, Spinanger is mentioned in Convoy OS 14 as well as Convoy OS 22 and OS 28. Note also that by going to this section of the same site and clicking on "Ship Search", using "Spinanger" as keyword, some convoys that are not mentioned in the above narrative will come up. Here are HX 257 and HX 264.

See also this chronological list of
OA & OB convoys

Torpedoed - 1945:

Spinanger arrived Londonderry from New York with Convoy HX 329 on Jan. 13-1945, then departed without escort for Greenock on the 15th. Torpedoed, starboard side aft, that same day by U-1172 (Kuhlmann) about 1 n mile off Clyde Light Vessel. 3 of the people in the engine room were killed, 4 were badly injured. A doctor from one of the destroyers sailing in the area came on board to see to the injured, until an RAF Rescue Launch arrived later to take them to port, where one died as a result of his burns. This man had been rescued by Gunner B. S. Thorsen, who had gone down into the oil and water filled engine room to find him and bring him up on deck.

Spinanger was taken in tow to Rothesay, repaired (again, see Page 4; some further voyages are noted on Page 5).

The following are commemorated at the Memorial for Seamen in Stavern, Norway:
Engineer Lars Bø, Motorman Nicolai Lindtner Olsen (had also served on Fernhill - see this Guestbook message), Motorman Gunvald Ulriksen and Motorman Lars Vestvik.

Position given by Rohwer is 55 08N 05 25W. The British Escort Carrier HMS Thane was torpedoed and damaged at the same time.

I've received some documents from Roger Griffiths, England (see Page 2), one of which is a letter from the Director of Naval Construction, with the heading "HMS Thane and M.V. Spinanger", dated Febr. 2-1945 stating the following:
"On the 15th January, 1945 the above ships were damaged by underwater explosion whilst proceeding independently from Northern Ireland to the Clyde.

At 13:28 when in position 132 degrees, Clyde Light Vessel 6 cables, Thane sustained severe damage aft and at 14:05 the Norwegian Oiler Spinanger, stationed about 1 1/2 miles away, was similarly damaged. In both instances the centre of the explosion was 50-60 ft. forward of the stern post.

Can D.T.M. please supply any details of the type of weapon and charge weight etc. responsible for the damage to the above ships."