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D/S Tanafjord To Tanafjord on the "Ships starting with T" page. Manager: Den Norske Amerikalinje A/S, Oslo Launched on March 23-1921 by Napier & Miller Ltd., Old Kilpatrick, Glasgow (Yard No. 233) for NAL and delivered in Dec.-1921. Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
As will be seen when going to Page 1 above, Tanafjord got out of Norway shortly before the German invasion (Apr. 9-1940). The first external webste that I've linked to at the end of this page has her in station 103 of Convoy SL 73, which left Freetown on Apr. 27-1941 and arrived Liverpool on May 25. Tanafjord was still in Liverpool during an air attack there on June 10-1941. She escaped unscathed, but one of her crew was killed. Ordinary Seaman Anton Skår is commemorated at the Memorial for Seamen in Stavern, Norway. In July that same year, Tanafjord is listed in Convoy OB 345, departing Liverpool on July 11, arriving Halifax on the 26th; Tanafjord, however, was bound for Trinidad, where she arrived Aug. 3, according to Page 2. Follow the links provided for names of other Norwegian ships taking part in these convoys. The same website has her in station 55 of Convoy SL 101, which departed Freetown on Febr. 21-1942 and arrived Liverpool on March 15. (Dagrun, Drammensfjord, Elin K. and Tabor are also listed). A couple of months later, she's listed in station 93 of Convoy OS 29, which left Liverpool on May 22; her voyage is given as Clyde to Capetown, Bombay and Karachi. Again, compare to the details found on Page 2 of the archive documents. According to Arnold Hague, she also sailed in Convoy SC 110, departing New York on Nov. 17-1942, arriving Liverpool Dec. 6; Tanafjord stopped at Belfast Lough Dec. 5, later proceeding to Avonmouth (from Page 2 of the archive docs, we learn that she had previously arrived New York from Trinidad, via Guantanamo, on Nov. 2 - convoy information for these voyages can be obtained by following the instructions at the external link below). This convoy is not yet available among the SC convoys included in my own Convoys section, but I've linked directly to Hague's listing at the end of this page. (See also John Bakke). In Jan.-1943, she shows up 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, arriving Freetown on Febr. 8, continuing to Bathurst 2 days later, according to Page 3. In May/June-1943 she sailed in Convoy SL 130/MKS 14. The SL portion of this convoy (in which Tanafjord sailed) left Freetown on May 30-1943, 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 - ref. external link below. In July/Aug.-1943, I have her in 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. On Apr. 6-1944, she made a voyage from Tunis to Oran, where she arrived Apr. 9, having sailed in Convoy MKS 45*. From Oran, she subsequently headed to the U.S. on Apr. 14, arriving New York May 2 (ref. link to Convoy GUS 36 at the end of this page). On June 19, she joined Convoy HX 296, bound for Liverpool with general cargo, later returning across the Atlantic with the westbound Convoy ON 245*, which left Liverpool on July 18 and arrived New York Aug. 2; Tanafjord, however, stopped at St. John, N.B. on Aug. 1, according to Page 4. She returned to the U.K. later that month in Convoy HX 303, with 16 other Norwegian ships, namely Romulus, Dalfonn, Noravind, Atlantic, Sommerstad, Skotaas, Geisha, Thorhild, Petter, Stirlingville, Rena, Para, Titanian, Mui Hock, Fjordaas and Norse Lady. Tanafjord joined this convoy from Halifax, HX 303 having originated in New York on Aug. 11. The following month, we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 253*, departing Liverpool on Sept. 13, arriving New York on the 28th, and from there, she later headed to Alexandria. Convoy information for this and some of her subsequent voyages, can be obtained by following the instructions provided at the external link at the end of this page. 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 the westbound convoy ON 288*, together with 9 other Norwegian ships, namely Dageid, Villanger, Viggo Hansteen, Slemmestad, G. C. Brøvig, Polartank, Heranger, Harald Torsvik and Høyanger. This convoy departed Southend on March 2-1945 with 108 ships, and arrived New York on March 19. The Norwegian commodore, R. G. Bruusgaard was in the British Port Fremantle. From New York, Tanafjord headed to Port Said the following month. Again, for information on some convoy voyages made in between those already noted above, please follow the instructions provided at the external link below, then compare the results with the details found on the various archive documents.
Tonnage became 5930 gt, 3649 net in 1950. Arrived Stavanger on Oct. 14-1954 for scrapping by Stavanger Skipsopphugging Co. Related external links: The 1 who was killed, June-1941 - Ordinary Seaman Anton Skår is commemorated. Norway Heritage - has quite a bit of information on the NAL's ships. 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).
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