M/S Tai Shan
Updated March 21-2009

To Tai Shan on the "Ships starting with T" page.


Source: Wilh. Wilhelmsen's fleet list (w/permission).

WW II picture, received from Markus Berger, Switzerland.

Related items on this website:
Ships in Sweden - A list of, and information on the Norwegian ships that were in Sweden at the time of the invasion of Norway.
Odd's ships - My father served on Tai Shan in 1948-1949.

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

Breakout from Sweden - 1941:

Tai Shan was in Sweden at the outbreak of war in Norway, having arrived Gothenburg on March 20-1940, according to Page 1 above (Norway was invaded on Apr. 9). With a cargo of raw iron, steel rods for aircraft, and 4 crates of carborators, all in all a valuable cargo for the RAF, she managed to escape to the U.K. on Jan. 23-1941, together with Elisabeth Bakke, John Bakke, Taurus and Ranja. Please follow the link to my page about Elisabeth Bakke to read more about "Operation Rubble".

Tai Shan was the flag ship in this operation (George Binney was on board). 147 men and 1 woman (wife of Chief Enginner Hans G. Hansen of John Bakke) had taken part in the breakout, 58 were British, 57 Norwegian, 31 Swedish and 1 Latvian. Here is a Picture from the breakout (not great quality) - Photo by Herbert Baasch, author of "Handelsschiffe im Kriegseinsatz". It shows Taurus, barely visible and Tai Shan on the way. Received from the owner of Baasch's photo collection.

Captain at the time of the escape was Einar Fredrik Isaachsen*, who had just recently transferred from M/S Taurus, which had arrived Malmö from Copenhagen on Apr. 8-1940. Chief engineer was Reidar Otto Paulsen, while the radio operator was British, with the appropriate last name of Bell. Tai Shan arrived Kirkwall on Jan. 25. Final destination was Gourock, where they were met by representatives for British Ministry of Supply and Nortraship.

* There's a slight disagreement with regard to Captain Isaachsen - "The Blockade Busters" says he was in fact formerly the 1st mate on Tai Shan, and had never commanded a ship up until that time, although he did have a certificate to do so. This source also states that chief engineer was the Swedish Tage Mark.

A visitor to my website, George Monk has told me that the following men received ungazetted awards for services in Operation Rubble (his source: Seedies List of awards to the British Merchant Navy which includes awards to Allied merchant seamen):
Captain Einar Isaachsen - Hon OBE (Civ),
1st Mate Hugo A. Fallberg - Hon MBE (Civ),
Chief Engineer Reidar Paulsen - Hon MBE (Civ),
Steward K. Overland (Øverland?) - BEM (Civ).

Misc. Convoy Voyages:

Page 1 of the archive documents lists her voyages following the breakout from Sweden.

Tai Shan was attacked by Focke Wulf aircraft on Apr. 26-1941 (59 17N 10 06W), but not hit. Her returning fire damaged the aircraft, but it's not clear whether it crashed. According to the document mentioned above, she was on her way from New York to Belfast on that date*. The following month, she made a voyage from the U.K. to Halifax, and is later listed in Convoy HX 138 from Halifax on July 11, bound for Mersey with general cargo. On Aug. 16 we find her, with destination Halifax, in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 8. She arrived Halifax on Aug. 29, the convoy having been dispersed on the 25th. She headed back to the U.K. in Convoy HX 154 from Halifax on Oct. 10, together with the Norwegian Ranja, Hilda Knudsen, Kaia Knudsen, Samuel Bakke, Emma Bakke, Polarsol, Skiensfjord, N. T. Nielsen-Alonso, Toronto, Noreg and Svenør. Tai Shan returned across the Atlantic with the westbound Convoy ON 40*, which originated in Liverpool on Nov. 25-1941 and dispersed Dec. 4, Tai Shan arriving New York on Dec. 12.

*According to J. R. Hegland's "Nortraships flåte", M/S Tai Yin was in Liverpool during the 5 day air attacks there, which started on May 3-1941, and is said to have received minor damages, but that ship was in another part of the world at that time - see also Sollund. However, it'll be noticed, when going back to Page 1, that Tai Shan was in Liverpool on that date, having arrived on Apr. 29. Departure is given as May 24. Could this be the attack referred to above, with the wrong date given?

On Jan. 2-1942, she set course for the U.K. again, joining Convoy HX 168, together with the Norwegian Fernmoor, G. C. Brøvig and N. T. Nielsen Alonso. (Brimanger was also scheduled for this convoy, but did not sail). The following month, she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 69*, departing Liverpool on Febr. 20, dispersed March 6, Tai Shan arriving Halifax that same day. In May that year, she's listed among the ships in Convoy HX 188 from Halifax, returning with Convoy ON 117*, which departed Liverpool on July 31 and dispersed Aug. 15, Tai Shan arriving New York that same day. She headed back to the U.K. on Sept. 6 in Convoy HX 206 from Halifax, later joining the westbound Convoy ON 137* (from Liverpool Oct. 9-1942, to New York Oct. 29). Tai Shan carried 12 passengers on this voyage. See also Page 2.

In Jan.-1943, she was in the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 222, in which Vestfold was sunk. Tai Shan was bound for Belfast Dock and Cardiff with general cargo, and also had passengers on board. It'll be noticed when going to my page about this convoy that she's included in the Halifax portion, but it's clear from the archive document mentioned above that she sailed from New York on Jan. 6; she arrived Belfast Lough on Jan. 21, Cardiff on the 25th. The following month, she returned to New York with the westbound Convoy ON 166, in which the Norwegian Stigstad, Ingria, N. T. Nielsen-Alonso and Glittre were sunk - please follow the links for more details. Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were Molda, Skandinavia, Tropic Star and Brasil. According to Arnold Hague, Tai Shan went back to the U.K. again with Convoy HX 230, which left New York on March 18-1943 and arrived Liverpool on Apr. 2; Tai Shan stopped at Belfast Lough on Apr. 1, proceeding to Cardiff that same day, with arrival Apr. 3. This convoy is not yet available among the HX convoys included in my own Convoys section, but I've linked directly to Hague's listing at the end of this page.

She now made a voyage to Halifax, having joined the westbound Convoy ON 179*, which originated in Liverpool on Apr. 18-1943 and arrived New York May 6; Tai Shan arrived Halifax May 3 (having started out from Milford Haven on Apr. 17). That summer, she shows up in Convoy HX 244, which originated in New York on June 15, Tai Shan, however, joined with the Halifax portion, and was bound for Liverpool with general cargo - the Norwegian Samuel Bakke acted as the Vice Commodore's ship for this convoy. The following month, we find Tai Shan in the westbound Convoy ON 192*, which left Liverpool on July 9 and arrived New York on the 22nd, and on Aug. 7, she left New York in Convoy HX 251 with general cargo as well as 10 passengers. Her destination was again Liverpool, station 141. Commodore was in Laurits Swenson, and a large number of Norwegian ships took part. Tai Shan subsequently headed back across the ocean with the westbound Convoy ON 201* (from Liverpool Sept. 9, to New York Sept. 24), and Arnold Hague now has her in Convoy HX 261, departing New York on Oct. 11-1943, arriving Liverpool on the 26th; Tai Shan arrived Cardiff that day - again, follow the link provided below. Her subsequent voyages are listed on Page 2 and Page 3 of the archive documents - convoy information for some of these can be obtained by following the instructions provided at the link already mentioned.

Skipping now to Aug.-1944, when she's listed in the fast westbound North Atlantic Convoy UC 34*, together with Hegra and Reinholt. This convoy left Liverpool on Aug. 17 and arrived New York on the 28th, but Tai Shan was bound for St. John, N.B., where she arrived Aug. 27. She returned to the U.K. in Convoy HX 308, which originated in New York on Sept. 13, but Tai Shan, bound for London with general cargo, joined from Halifax (Vice Commodore was in the Norwegian Villanger). The following month, we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 263*, which departed Southend on Oct. 29 and arrived New York Nov. 15; Tai Shan arrived Galveston Nov. 20. She later joined Convoy HX 328 from New York on Dec. 24, bound for Cardiff with general cargo, arriving that destination on Jan. 9-1945. (Commodore was in Brimanger).

Later that month, she joined the westbound Convoy ON 281* (from Southend Jan. 26-1945, to New York Febr. 12), and according to A. Hague, she returned to the U.K. in Convoy HX 343, leaving New York on March 9-1945, arriving Liverpool on the 24th - again, see the external link below. Her last Trans-Atlantic convoy voyage took place in Convoy ON 296*, which departed Liverpool on Apr. 12-1945 and arrived New York on the 30th; Tai Shan arrived Philadelphia May 1.

* 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, 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 UC convoys will also be added, but for now, please see ships in all UC convoys.

For more information on all the other Norwegian ships mentioned on this page, please see the alphabet index, or go to the Master Ship Index.

POST WAR:

Sold on March 17-1960 to Nichimen Co., Osaka, Japan for scrapping. Arrived at Mihara on July 23-1960 and demolition commenced on the 25th at Kihara, Mihara-shi.

Related external link:
Misc. convoys - By clicking on "Ship Search", using "Tai Shan" as keywords, some convoys that are not mentioned in my own text will come up. Here are HX 230, HX 261 and HX 343, all mentioned in the above narrative.

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

(Tai Shan is one og the five sacred mountains of China, West Shantung province).

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, Wilh. Wilhelmsen fleet list and misc. (ref. My sources).