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Manager: Wilh. Wilhelmsen, Tønsberg Launched by F. Schichau G.m.b.H., Danzig, Germany (Yard No. 1424) May 13-1939, completed Sept. 29.
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 above, 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. Rohwer gives the position 34 59N 75 41W. Tamesis was later taken in tow to New York, repaired and put back into service.
In Oct.-1942, she's listed as sailing in Convoy NG 312, which left New York on Oct. 8 and arrived Guantanamo on the 15th. Tamesis, however, was bound for Freetown, where she arrived Oct. 19, proceeding to Takoradi the next day, according to Page 3. See the external link provided below for more convoy information; several Norwegian ships took part. 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 7-1943. (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 - see also Garonne). 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 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?) 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.
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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