D/S Telnes
Updated Febr. 4-2011

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

Final Fate - 1940 (Norway still neutral):

Believed to have been torpedoed and sunk by U-55 (Heidel) on Jan. 19-1940, northwest of the Orkneys, when on a voyage from New York with general cargo for Rotterdam and Antwerp, having left New York on Jan. 9. All 18 on board died.

This posting to my Ship Forum indicates that Telnes had previously loaded a cargo near Sundsvall, then left for Trelleborg at midnight around Dec. 10-1939, later heading to Malmø (and on to the U.S.). There's also mention of a German U-boat following them all night from Sundsvall.

U-55 was sunk on Jan. 30 and Book 1 of "Handelsflåten i krig" by Atle Thowsen says that one of the survivors from the boat, Oberbootsmaat Friedrich Jacobi indicated that the U-boat had sunk 4 ships in the days leading up to her own sinking, the times and positions pointing to the Telnes having been sunk on Jan. 19 and the Norwegian Segovia in the morning of Jan. 21. The other 2 ships were the Swedish D/S Foxen and D/S Andalusia (see external links at the end of this page).

My Ship Forum has a thread about this ship, with several postings. One of them (by Jan-Olof, Sweden), gives some information from an article in the newspaper "Arbeiderbladet" dated Febr. 23-1940, which names the following casualties:

Captain Ingvald Thomassen, Bergen
1st Mate Knut Norman Pedersen, Bergen
2nd Mate/Radi Opeartor Arne Hofseth, Vatne pr. Ålesund
Chief Engineer Karl Holtan, Bergen
2nd Engineer Edvard Olsen, Laksevåg
Steward Magnus Elias Voldsund, Bergen
Galleyboy Ludvig Irvin Pedersen, Øksnes in Vesterålen
Helper Olav Madsen, Bergen
Able Seaman Erling Smith Jahnsen, Bergen
Able Seaman Olai Steinseth, Kalvåg in Bremanger
Ordinary Seaman Martin Løkaas, Bodø
Ordinary Seaman Martin Olsen, Bergen
Jr. Ordinary Seaman Ingvald Myreng, Bergen
Deckboy Daniel Løgevik, Rekefjord
Donkeyman Hjalmar Eriksen, Bergen
Stoker Sigvard Johannes Lie, Bergen
Stoker Einar Vig, Strandvik in Fusa
Stoker Finn Willmann Dagsvik, Bergen.

Another posting (by Mark McShane) states:
I have something to add to the story of the Telnes. In doing some research I came across a small story from an Irish newspaper called the Cork Examiner. The story is dated16th April 1940. The story reports that a large amount of wreckage was washed ashore on the coast of Donegal. The articles inclued mineral water barrels, all empty but one, motor tubes made in the USA, tins of coffee, electric bulbs, two rafts, on one of which was the following inscription "20 Personen, Telnes, Bergen".

He adds:
Now I think this is very interesting, I don't think there has been anything reported that was found from the Telnes apart from this. The liferafts and the water barrels is also a very interesting story, especially as the water barrels were empty, except one. Did some of the crew survive the sinking and spend some time in the liferaft? We'll probablly never know.

The following are commemorated at the Memorial for Seamen in Stavern, Norway: (listed in alphabetical order)
† Captain Ingvald Berg Thomassen	† Stoker* Finn William Dagsvik	† Donkeyman Hjalmar Eriksen	† Mate/Radio Operator Arne Hofseth	† Chief Engineer Karl Holtan	† Stoker Sigvard Johannes Lie
† Deck Boy Daniel Løgevik	† Able Seaman Martin Vilhelm Løkås	† Deck Boy Olaf Madsen	† Jr. Ordinary Seaman Ingvald Johan A. Myreng	† Engineer Edvar Johan Olsen	† Ordinary Seaman Martin Olsen
† Stoker Einar Olsen Vik	† Seaman Irvin Ludvig Pedersen	† Mate Knut Normann Pedersen	† Able Seaman Erling Smith Jahnsen	† Able Seaman Olai Johannes Steinset	† Steward Magnus Elias Voldsund

*My ship Forum has a posting by the nephew of Finn William Dagsvik. There's also a posting by a relative(?) of Anfinn Hopland, who had served on this ship prior to her being sunk (Olaf Madsen is also mentioned). Anfinn Hopland later joined Haakon Hauan. Another posting is with regard to Magnus Voldsund.

Related external links:
Stavern Memorial commemorations

U-55 - Has info on her loss

The loss of Foxen
The loss of Andalusia
see also:
The attack on Vaclite
The attack on Keramiai

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