M/S Tamesis

To Tamesis on the "Ships starting with T" page.

Crew List

Torpedoed - 1942:

Captain Even A. Bruun-Evensen. On a voyage from Angola to New York with a cargo of copper and tin in the summer of 1942, and was off Diamond Shoal when a powerful explosion occurred, blowing a large hole in Hold No. 4. All on board went in the lifeboats, but the next morning the captain and 10 men went back on board and managed to take the ship to the Hatteras inlet where she was beached. It was at first assumed that the explosion was caused by a mine, but she had, in fact, been torpedoed by U-701 (Degen) that day, June 26. Rohwer gives the position 34 59N 75 41W. Tamesis was later taken in tow to New York, repaired and put back into service.

This picture was received from Bill Webright, whose father, John E. Webright, was stationed with the United States Coast Guard at Hatteras Inlet Station, North Carolina (read his Guestbook message).
Bill adds: "I would guess that the picture of the Tamesis is the day after being torpedoed, since the history from your website states that the Capt and 10 crew returned to the Tamesis in the morning (June 27?) to beach her near the Hatteras Inlet".

Final Fate - 1943:

Captain Ole Jørgensen. Tamesis was on an independent voyage from Lobito Bay, West Africa to New York, having departed Lobito on Febr. 20-1943 with 9427 tons general cargo, when she encountered Convoy UGS 6 straight ahead of her on March 7-1943. (Accordnig to "The Allied Convoy System" by Arnold Hague, this convoy had departed Hampton Roads with 45 ships on March 4 and arrived Oran on the 22nd). The captain immediately changed course to avoid it, but the convoy Commodore signalled instructions for him to change to a westerly course, and though he felt this was against all common sense, he found he had to follow orders, with the result that Tamesis was rammed on the starboard side between hatch No. 2 and 3 by the American Alcoa Guard (4905 gt, built 1918) and sank by the bow in 20 minutes (200 miles northeast of Bermuda in position 35 07N 62 45W). Time of collision is given as 00:35 ship's time in a journal excerpt. Tamesis had a crew of 50 and 7 passengers on board, who were picked up from 5 lifeboats by the American Liberty ship Richard H. Alvey from the convoy. This ship also picked up 19 men from Alco Guard's lifeboat.

"Nortraships flåte" states they subsequently witnessed the battle between the convoy and 17 U-boats a few days later (this battle started on March 12 - see the external link at the end of this text). However, a report signed by the captain states they were landed in Hamilton, Bermuda the next day, March 8. Gunnery Officer Erling Eliassen (one of the passengers?) had been injured in the collision and was taken to the American military hospital, as was the cabin girl who had sustained injuries to her left arm.

Crew List - No casualties:

Captain Ole Jørgensen	1st Mate Sigurd Haram	2nd Mate Hans E. Eliassen	2nd Mate Kristinius Watne	3rd Mate Svend Bjørneby *	4th Mate Kaare Olaussen
Radio Operator Josef Christiansen	Radio Operator Laurance (Lawrence?) J. Smith (British)	Carpenter Paulus Larsen	Boatswain Jens Willumsen	Able Seaman William Salomonsen	Able Seaman Anton Nedrebø
Able Seaman Hans P. Hansen	Able Seaman Jacob Jacobsen	Able Seaman Erling Sørensen	Able Seaman Jan Norman Flesvik	Able Seaman Sigvart Olavesen	Able Seaman Ole Eriksen Tveit
Able Seaman Anton Aanonsen	Able Seaman Einar Larsen	Able Seaman/Gunner Magnus Larsen	Able Seaman/Gunner Arvid Sørensen	Able Seaman/Gunner Fredrik J. Hagen	Able Seaman/Gunner Haakon Hansen
Able Seaman/Gunner Hubert Augen Nilsen	Able Seaman/Gunner Søren Eriksen	Ordinary Seaman Edvin Göbel (Swedish)	1st Engineer Marinius Olsen	2nd Engineer John W. Skau	3rd Engineer Arthur Aronsen
4th Engineer Knut Stang	Electrician Ludvig Wolla	Mechanic Oswald W. Olsen	Mechanic Olaf Skarsten	Mechanic Rolf H. Larsen	Mechanic Einar Pettersen
Mechanic Kittil Moen	Mechanic Fridolf Andersen	Mechanic Odd Larsen	Mechanic Karl J. Oscarsen	Mechanic Kristian Johansen	Mechanic Frank Johansen
Mechanic Øistein Hauge	Oiler Rolf Ansgar Slatlem	Cabin Girl Maren Martinsen	Steward Olaf Eikholt	Cook Odd Muri	2nd Cook Reidar Wold
Mess Boy Sigfried Löfquist (Swedish)	Mess Boy Ian Urquhart (British)	+ 7 passengers

Related external links:
Operations information for U-701

Battle for Convoy UGS 6

Back to Tamesis on the "Ships starting with T" page.

Wilh. Wilhelmsen later had two more ships by this name.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: Wilh. Wilhelmsen fleet list, "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume II, Norwegian Maritime Museum, and misc. as mentioned within above text - (ref. My sources).