Manager: Wilh. Wilhelmsen, Tønsberg
Tonnage: 7025 gt

Launched by Deutsche Werke A.G., Kiel (Yard No. 223) on May 4-1929. Upon completion on Aug. 27-1929 she was registered in the ownership of Transpacific Corporation, Panama. 7025 gt, 3806 net, 12 400 tdwt, 461.4' x 60.6' x 29.0', 2 x 8 cyl. 4 SCSA oil engines totalling 7000 ihp by shipbuilders driving twin screws, service speed 14.5 knots, 10 passengers. Re-registered under the Norwegian flag at Tønsberg in 1937.

Captain at the beginning of the war was Albert Toft (later of Talabot and Temeraire).

Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4

Some Voyages:

As will be seen when going to Page 1 above, Tai Ping Yang was on her way from Casablanca to Queenstown when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940. It looks like her destination had initially been Oslo, Norway but she was diverted to Hull, where she later arrived (via various other ports) on May 24, remaining there for about 2 months (she had also had a long stay in Falmouth).

That summer, we find her listed in station 63 of Convoy OA 190, which left Methil on July 26 and dispersed on the 29th, Tai Ping Yang arriving NewYork on Aug. 7. The Norwegian Bonde, Galatea, Hjamar Wessel, Jernland, Kul and Siak are also listed - see the external links provided at the end of this page.

It'll be noticed when going to Page 1, that she occasionally had long stays in port. Also, unless voyages are missing from her record, she appears to have spent a long time in Sydney, where she had arrived from Melbourne on Sept. 14-1941. Departure is given as Aug. 14-1942, when she proceeded to Fremantle, later to Colombo - see Page 2. She's not named in this convoy (nor is it mentioned on the archive document), but according to a document received from D. Kindell, based on the late Arnold Hague's database, she took part in Convoy BM 29 (link below), departing Bombay on Oct. 6-1942, arriving Addu Oct. 16. He says she was detached on Oct. 11, departing Colombo for Fremantle. From the archive document, we learn that she sailed from Colombo on Oct. 13 and arrived Fremantle on the 26th, proceeding to Melbourne the next day. Her 1943 voyages also start on this document; unfortunately, the text is a little difficult to read.

According to Page 3, she also spent quite a long time in Fremantle. She had arrived there from Aden on Sept. 9-1943 and did not leave again until May 16-1944, arriving Sydney on the 25th. Similarly, there's a big gap in her voyages from July 27-1944, when she arrived Balboa. She's said to have left Cristobal in tow on Sept. 2, arriving Galveston in tow on Sept. 12. I have no information on what might have happened to her in this period. Her next departure date is May 23-1945, when she sailed to New York, subsequently heading to Liverpool from there on May 30, with arrival June 10. She also spent over a month in Swansea that summer, before heading to Port Said, Aden and Sydney in Aug.-1945, spending several weeks in Sydney. (The document also shows some of her early 1946 voyages, as does Page 4).

POST WAR:

Re-engined in 1952 by Howaldtswerke Hamburg A.G. with 2 x 5 cyl. 2 scsa oil engines totalling 8000 ihp (Howaldtswerke), 15 knots. Sold to Olistim Navigation Co. (Achilles Frangistas), Greece on May 22-1962 and renamed Sophia. Sold again in 1964 to Lestam Greek Shipping Co. Ltd., Greece. Sold in1969 to Sophia Shipping Co. Ltd., Cyprus. Sold in 1972 to Istanbul Metalurji Sanayii A.S., Turkey for scrapping. Demolition commenced at Fener on March 16-1972.

(The ship's name is Chinese for "the great Pacific Ocean").

Back to Tai Ping Yang on the "Ships starting with T" page.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: Wilh. Wilhelmsen fleet list. and misc.