Owner: A/S Bryde & Dahls Hvalfangerselskap A/S
Manager: A/S Thor Dahl, Sandefjord
Tonnage: 12 215 gt
Built by W. Doxford & Sons Ltd., Sunderland as San Nazario (Eagle Oil), launched June 9-1914 by H. W. Masters, delivered Sept. 5. Torpedoed and damaged on Oct. 15-1917 by U-53 - repaired. Purchased by Bryde & Dahls Hvalfangerselskap (A/S Thor Dahl), Sandefjord on July 23-1928, converted to whaleoil factory at Framnæs mek. Værksted and renamed Thorshammer. Further rebuilt in Rotterdam 1931/'32.
Captain: Einar Torp. Also, Hjalmar Braavold.
Related item on this website:
Norwegian Victims of Pinguin
Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
Please compare the above voyages with Arnold Hague's Voyage Record below.
Voyage Record From Apr.-1940 to July-1945:
|
(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database).
Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each.
1940 |
Apr. 4 |
Rio |
Trinidad |
Apr. 17 |
Independent |
See also Page 1 |
|
Apr. 24 |
Trinidad |
New Orleans |
May 3 |
Independent |
|
|
May 13 |
New Orleans |
Mobile |
May 18 |
Independent |
|
|
June 11 |
Mobile |
Montevideo |
July 11 |
Independent |
Via Caripito
(Page 1) |
|
July 26 |
Montevideo |
Halifax |
Aug. 16 |
Independent |
|
|
Oct. 11 |
Halifax |
Curacao |
Oct. 20 |
Independent |
|
|
Oct. 21 |
Curacao |
Montevideo |
Nov. 10 |
Independent |
|
|
Nov. 13 |
Montevideo |
Antarctic Whaling Grounds |
|
Independent |
See also narrative below & Page 1 |
1941 |
Apr. 27 |
South Georgia |
Montevideo |
May 4 |
Independent |
|
|
May 11 |
Montevideo |
Trinidad |
May 27 |
Independent |
|
|
May 27 |
Trinidad |
Curacao |
May 30 |
Independent |
|
|
June 1 |
Curacao |
New Orleans |
June 11 |
Independent |
A. Hague says:
Notional sailing date
(Page 1 gives June 4). |
|
June 19 |
New Orleans |
New York City |
June 25 |
Independent |
|
|
June 26 |
New York City |
Halifax |
June 29 |
Independent |
|
|
Sept. 15 |
Halifax |
St. John, N.B. |
Sept. 17 |
Independent |
|
|
Sept. 26 |
St. John, N.B. |
Halifax |
Sept. 27 |
Independent |
|
|
Oct. 3 |
Halifax |
New York City |
Oct. 5 |
Independent |
|
|
Oct. 8 |
New York City |
Aruba |
Oct. 15 |
Independent |
|
|
Oct. 16 |
Aruba |
Cristobal |
Oct. 19 |
Independent |
|
|
Oct. 24 |
Balboa |
Balboa |
Jan. 16-1942 |
Independent |
A. Hague says:
Voyage data unknown
(Page 1 suggests whaling grounds). |
1942 |
Jan. 19 |
Cristobal |
New Orleans |
Jan. 25 |
Independent |
|
|
Apr. 21 |
New Orleans |
Baytown |
Apr. 25 |
Independent |
|
|
Apr. 26 |
Baytown |
Cristobal |
May 3 |
Independent |
|
|
May 5 |
Balboa |
Talara |
Sept. 2 |
Independent |
A. Hague says: Probably via whaling grounds. |
|
Sept. 3 |
Talara |
Balboa |
Sept. 7 |
Independent |
|
|
Sept. 11 |
Balboa |
Los Angeles |
Sept. 24 |
Independent |
Page 1 says:
with 8 whalers. |
|
Sept. 25 |
Los Angeles |
Tacoma |
Oct. 1 |
Independent |
|
1943 |
Jan. 5 |
Seattle |
San Francisco |
Jan. 8 |
Independent |
|
|
Jan. 12 |
San Francisco |
Honolulu |
|
Independent |
|
|
Jan. 30 |
Honolulu |
Los Angeles |
Febr. 18 |
Independent |
Via San Francisco - See Page 2 |
|
Febr. 20 |
Los Angeles |
San Francisco |
Febr. 21 |
Independent |
|
|
Febr. 23 |
San Francisco |
Seattle |
Febr. 26 |
Independent |
|
|
March 3* |
Seattle |
San Francisco |
March 6 |
Independent |
*Page 2 gives departure March 5 (error?). |
|
March 9 |
San Francisco |
Seattle |
March 12 |
Independent |
|
|
March 16 |
Seattle |
San Francisco |
March 19 |
Independent |
|
|
March 21 |
San Francisco |
Honolulu |
Apr. 1 |
Independent |
A. Hague says:
Notional sailing date
(Page 2 gives March 22). |
|
Apr. 9 |
Honolulu |
San Francisco |
Apr. 17 |
Independent |
|
|
Apr. 22 |
San Francisco |
Honolulu |
May 3 |
Independent |
|
|
May 12 |
Honolulu |
San Francisco |
May 20 |
Independent |
|
|
May 27 |
San Francisco |
Seattle |
May 30 |
Independent |
|
|
June 8 |
Seattle |
San Francisco |
June 11 |
Independent |
|
|
July 5 |
San Francisco |
Los Angeles |
July 7 |
Independent |
|
|
July 20 |
Los Angeles |
Callao |
Oct. 5 |
Independent |
A. Hague says:
Voyage data unknown
Page 2 says: with eight whalers
(see also Thorgaut). |
|
Nov. 10 |
Whaling Grounds |
Balboa |
Nov. 18 |
Independent |
|
|
Nov. 19 |
Cristobal |
New Orleans |
Nov. 26 |
Independent |
|
|
Dec. 19 |
New Orleans |
Cristobal |
Dec. 25 |
Independent |
|
|
Dec. 26 |
Balboa |
Talara |
Dec. 30 |
Independent |
See also Page 2
(left Talara Dec. 30? Error?) |
1944 |
Jan. 30 |
Talara |
South Georgia |
Febr. 22 |
Independent |
Page 2 says:
and 8 whalers. |
|
Febr. 24 |
South Georgia |
Valparaiso |
Apr. 15 |
Independent |
(8 whalers) |
|
Apr. 16 |
Valparaiso |
Balboa |
Apr. 27 |
Independent |
|
|
Apr. 28 |
Cristobal |
Gitmo |
May 2 |
ZG 66 |
Convoy available at ZG 66
(external link) |
|
As will be seen when following the link to Convoy ZG 66, several Norwegian whalers are included. |
|
May 4 |
Gitmo |
Key West |
May 6 |
GK 804 |
Convoy available at GK 804
(external link) |
|
May 6 |
Key West |
Houston |
May 10 |
KH 523 |
Convoy available at KH 523
(external link) |
|
May 24 |
Galveston Bar |
Key West |
May 28 |
HK 233 |
Convoy available at HK 233
(external link) |
|
May 28 |
Key West |
|
|
KN 316 |
Detached June 2.
Convoy available at KN 316
(external link) |
|
June 2 |
Detached from KN 316 |
Boston |
June 4 |
Independent |
|
|
June 8 |
Boston |
Halifax |
June 10 |
BX 111 |
Convoy available at BX 111
(external link) |
|
Oct. 3 |
Halifax |
Cape Cod Canal |
Oct. 5 |
XB 128 |
Convoy available at XB 128
(external link) |
|
Oct. 5 |
Cape Cod Canal |
New York City |
Oct. 6 |
Independent |
|
|
Oct. 6 |
New York City |
Aruba |
Oct. 15 |
Independent |
|
|
Oct. 17 |
Aruba |
New York City |
Oct. 25 |
Independent |
|
|
Oct. 28 |
New York City |
Houston |
Nov. 5 |
Independent |
|
|
Nov. 6 |
Baytown |
Cristobal |
Nov. 13 |
Independent |
|
|
Nov. 15 |
Cristobal |
Curacao |
Nov. 18 |
Independent |
|
|
Nov. 20 |
Curacao |
Cristobal |
Nov. 24 |
Independent |
|
|
Nov. 28 |
Cristobal |
Curacao |
Dec. 1 |
Independent |
|
|
Dec. 3 |
Curacao |
Cristobal |
Dec. 5 |
Independent |
|
|
Dec. 8 |
Cristobal |
Aruba |
Dec. 10 |
Independent |
|
|
Dec. 12 |
Aruba |
Cristobal |
|
Independent |
|
|
Dec. 17 |
Cristobal |
Aruba |
Dec. 20 |
Independent |
|
|
Dec. 21 |
Aruba |
New York City |
Dec. 30 |
Independent |
|
1945 |
Jan. 4 |
New York City |
Curacao |
Jan. 12 |
Independent |
|
|
Jan. 13 |
Curacao |
Cristobal |
Jan. 16 |
Independent |
|
|
Jan. 22 |
Cristobal |
Aruba |
Jan. 25 |
Independent |
|
|
Jan. 26 |
Aruba |
Cristobal |
Jan. 29 |
Independent |
|
|
Febr. 1 |
Cristobal |
Curacao |
Febr. 5 |
Independent |
|
|
Febr. 7 |
Curacao |
Cristobal |
Febr. 10 |
Independent |
|
|
Febr. 12 |
Cristobal |
Curacao |
Febr. 16 |
Independent |
|
|
Febr. 18 |
Curacao |
New York City |
Febr. 26 |
Independent |
|
|
March 4 |
New York City |
Aruba |
March 12 |
Independent |
|
|
March 14 |
Aruba |
Cape Henry |
March 21 |
Independent |
|
|
March 25 |
Cape Henry |
Aruba |
Apr. 1 |
Independent |
|
|
Apr. 3 |
Aruba |
New York City |
Apr. 11 |
Independent |
|
|
Apr. 14 |
New York City |
Curacao |
Apr. 23 |
Independent |
|
|
Apr. 25 |
Curacao |
Cristobal |
Apr. 28 |
Independent |
|
|
May 1 |
Cristobal |
Aruba |
May 4 |
Independent |
|
|
May 5 |
Aruba |
Cristobal |
May 8 |
Independent |
|
|
May 12 |
Cristobal |
Aruba |
May 14 |
Independent |
|
|
May 15 |
Aruba |
Hampton Roads |
May 23 |
Independent |
|
|
May 26 |
Hampton Roads |
Curacao |
June 2 |
Independent |
|
|
June 4 |
Curacao |
New York City |
June 12 |
Independent |
|
|
June 20 |
New York City |
Clyde |
July 4 |
Independent |
Subsequent voyages:
Page 3 & Page 4 |
As will be seen when going to Page 1 of the archive documents, Thorshammer was on her way from Rio de Janeiro to Trinidad when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940.
Thanks to the quick reaction from Globe VIII, Pol VII and Thorarinn, Thorshammer was warned of danger and escaped capture by Pinguin on Jan. 14-1941. Please continue to my page Norwegian Victims of Pinguin for a detailed account on Thorshammer's escape that day (go to Those who escaped capture).
Her 1941 and 1942 voyages are also shown on Page 1, while Page 2 lists her 1943 and some 1944 voyages. The rest can be found on Page 3. According to the Memorial for Seamen in Stavern, Norway (see link at the end of this page), she lost a crew member that year. Electrician Hans Trønnes is listed as having died on Nov. 22.-1944 following an accident on board. From the archive document, we learn that Thorshammer was on her way from Curacao to Cristobal on that date. This document also has most of her 1945 voyages, and as can be seen, she got to go home to Norway already in July-1945, and again in the spring of 1946 (Page 4).
It'll be noticed, when going to the various archive documents, that she occasionally had long stays in port.
Refitted by Framnæs mek. Værksted(?) in 1948, and Harland & Wolff in Liverpool (as per 1949 report). Sold on Sept. 6-1962 to SPA Cantieri Navali, Genoa, Italy for breaking up.
Related external links:
Queen of Bermuda - The Norwegian whaling fleet is mentioned in Part Five.
Stavern Memorial commemoration - Electrician Hans Trønnes is commemorated.
Thorshammer - This site has a lot of information on this ship's history (including names of captains through the years), as well as several pictures. The site also gives the reasons for her long stays in port (Norwegian text).