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M/S Tamesis To Tamesis on the "Ships starting with T" page. Manager: Wilh. Wilhelmsen, Tønsberg Launched by F. Schichau G.m.b.H., Danzig, Germany (Yard No. 1424) May 13-1939, completed Sept. 29. Captains: Even A. Bruun-Evensen, later Ole Jørgensen. Related item on this website: Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
As can be seen when going to Page 1 above, Tamesis arrived Cristobal on Apr. 8-1940, the day before war broke out in Norway. She had left Savannah on Apr. 4. Departure Cristobal is not given, but she later arrived Los Angeles on Apr. 18, then proceeded to Manila and Shanghai, also making voyages to Japan, before returning to the U.S. that summer (it'll be noticed that she spent over 3 weeks in New York in the fall of 1940). Her 1941 voyages also start on this document and continue on Page 2*, which also shows a couple of 1942 voyages (as can be seen, she had quite a long stay in Colombo).
Captain Even A. Bruun-Evensen. Tamesis was on a voyage from Angola to New York with a cargo of copper and tin in the summer of 1942 (according to Page 3, she had left Lobito on June 10), 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. J. Rohwer gives the position 34 59N 75 41W. For info, U-701 was sunk the following month - see the links provided below for more info.
Tamesis was later taken in tow to New York, repaired and returned to service. (Page 3 says she arrived Hampton Roads in tow on July 11, leaving for New York on the 24th). She did not leave New York again until Oct. 8-1942, when we find her, together with Acasta, Ferncourt, Høegh Scout and Vav, in Convoy NG 312, which arrived Guantanamo on the 15th, ref. external link below. Tamesis, however, was bound for Freetown, where she arrived Oct. 19, proceeding to Takoradi the next day. She returned to the U.S. at the end of that year and later had a long stay in New York, before proceeding to Lagos, Matadi and Lobito. More information on the other Norwegian ships mentioned here can be found via the alphabet index at the end of this page, or go to the Master Ship Index. Related external links:
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. (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 - see also Garonne and Hallanger). 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). A journal excerpt gives the time of collision as 00:35 ship's time (see also Page 3). 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 Alcoa Guard's lifeboat. According to A. Hague, Alcoa Guard later arrived Bermuda and adds that Richard H. Alvey had also collided with this ship and also proceeded to Bermuda (see the last link at the end of this page), which fits with Captain Jørgensen's report. "Nortraships flåte" claims they subsequently witnessed the battle between the convoy and 17 U-boats a few days later (this battle started on March 12 - again, see the external links at the end of this page). 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? Or is he identical to the 2nd mate?) 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:
Related external links: 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).
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