D/S Tanafjord
Updated Aug. 13-2012

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


Source: Bjørn Milde's postcard collection.
Another picture is available on this external page (click in it to enlarge).

Skipping now to Febr.-1942, when she's named in Convoy SL 101, which departed Freetown on Febr. 21 and arrived Liverpool on March 15 - Tanafjord stopped at Clyde; arrival is given as March 17 on the archive document. Dagrun, Drammensfjord, Elin K. and Tabor are also listed. Tanafjord did not leave the U.K. again until May 23, and is listed, with Arosa, Fernbank, G. C. Brøvig, Hallanger, Havsten, James Hawson and Meline, in Convoy OS 29, which originated in Liverpool on May 22 and had Freetown as its final destination (ref. links in Voyage Record); her voyage is given as Clyde to Capetown, Bombay and Karachi. Again, compare with the details found on Page 2 of the archive documents.

Later that year, Arnold Hague has included her in Convoy SC 110, departing New York on Nov. 17, arriving Liverpool Dec. 6; Tanafjord stopped at Belfast Lough Dec. 5, later proceeding to Avonmouth, with arrival Dec. 9 (from the archive document, we learn that she had previously arrived New York from Trinidad, via Guantanamo, on Nov. 2 - convoy information for these voyages can be found in the table above). This convoy is not yet available among the SC convoys included in my Convoys section, but will be added - see ships in all SC convoys. Fana, Ferncliff, Gezina, Hallfried, John Bakke (damaged in collision, follow link for details), Meline, Norbris (Panamanian flag, Norwegian managers), Norefjord and Vav are also listed.

In Jan.-1943, we find her in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 161, which left Liverpool on Jan. 12 and arrived New York on the 31st. However, Tanafjord was bound for Freetown and was detached from the convoy on Jan. 25, according to the Commodore's notes (A. Hague says Jan. 21, adding that she had 2 passengers on board), arriving Freetown on Febr. 8, continuing to Bathurst 2 days later - see Page 3 (which shows further long stays in port). In May/June she sailed in Convoy SL 130/MKS 14. The SL portion of this convoy (in which Tanafjord sailed) left Freetown on May 30 and joined up with the MKS portion* from Gibraltar on June 11, the combined convoy arriving Liverpool on June 21. Tanafjord had a general cargo, voyage Lagos/Takoradi for Loch Ewe, where she arrived on the 21st. Again, several Norwegian ships took part, namely Bosphorus, Hai Lee, Jenny, San Andres, Sørvard and Topdalsfjord (ref. link in the Voyage Record above). In July, she joined the U.K.-Gibraltar convoy Convoy KMS 22, bound for Port Said with stores, with arrival there on Aug. 20 (having sailed from Oban on July 29). Note that she's also included in the second table on my page for this convoy.

Her subsequent voyages are shown on Page 3 and Page 4; convoy information for some of these can be found in the Voyage Record.

On Apr. 6-1944, she made a voyage from Tunis to Oran, where she arrived Apr. 9, having sailed in Convoy MKS 45* (Brajara, Ingertre, Nyhorn, Pronto and Thorshavn are also named). From Oran, she headed to the U.S. on Apr. 14, arriving New York May 2 (Convoy GUS 36 - link in the table above). Having remained in New York for several weeks, she joined Convoy HX 296 on June 19, bound for Liverpool with general cargo, later returning across the Atlantic with Convoy ON 245*, which left Liverpool on July 18 and arrived New York Aug. 2, but Tanafjord stopped at St. John, N.B. on Aug. 1. This convoy also had Bralanta, Chr. Th. Boe, Emma Bakke (Commodore Vessel), Fjordaas, Gudvor, Mathilda, Montevideo, O. B. Sørensen and Petter II in its ranks. Tanafjord headed back to the U.K. later that month in Convoy HX 303, with 16 other Norwegian ships, namely Romulus, Dalfonn, Noravind, Atlantic, Sommerstad, Skotaas, Geisha (Vice Commodore), Thorhild, Petter, Stirlingville, Rena, Para, Titanian, Mui Hock, Fjordaas and Norse Lady. Tanafjord joined this convoy from Halifax (see Page 4), HX 303 having originated in New York on Aug. 11. Together with Dalfonn, Fosna, Kronprinsessen and Marit II, she later joined the westbound Convoy ON 253*, departing Liverpool on Sept. 13, arriving New York on the 28th, and from there, she headed to Alexandria the following month. Convoy information for this and some of her subsequent voyages can be found in the Voyage Record.

At the end of Jan.-1945, I have her in the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 166, bound for Liverpool with general cargo, later returning with Convoy ON 288*, together with Dageid, Villanger, Viggo Hansteen, Slemmestad, G. C. Brøvig, Polartank, Heranger and Harald Torsvik. "Nortraships flåte" adds Høyanger, but A. Hague instead has this ship in the next convoy, ON 289*, which left Southend on March 7. ON 288 departed Southend on March 2 with 108 ships and arrived New York on March 19. The Norwegian R. G. Bruusgaard served as Commodore in the British Port Fremantle. From New York, Tanafjord headed to Port Said the following month - again, see Page 4. Her voyages to March-1946 are shown on Page 5.

* The ON convoys will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, with more information on each; in the meantime, the ships sailing in them (and escorts) are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. The MKS and KMS convoys will also be added, but for now, see ships in all MKS convoys and ships in all KMS convoys.

More details on all the other Norwegian ships mentioned on this page can be found via the alphabet index below, or go to the Master Ship Index.

POST WAR:

Tonnage became 5930 gt, 3649 net in 1950. Arrived Stavanger on Oct. 14-1954 for scrapping by Stavanger Skipsopphugging Co.

Related external links:
Stavern Memorial commemoration - Ordinary Seaman Anton Skår is commemorated, said to have been killed during the air attacks in Liverpool in June-1941.

Norway Heritage - has quite a bit of information on the NAL's ships, including Tanafjord.

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

Den Norske Amerikalinje had a total of 4 ships by this name through the years, this was the second one in line.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, Norwegian America Line fleet list, "The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague, and misc. - (ref. My sources).