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M/T Thorshov To Thorshov on the "Ships starting with T" page. Here are some more pictures of Thorshov (also from Narve Sørensen): Owner: Bryde & Dahls Hvalfangerselskap A/S Built by Schiffbau & Maschinefabrik Bremer Vulkan, Vegesack, Germany in 1935. Captain: Bjarne Svenningsen. Related items on this website: Thorshov crossed the Atlantic 50 times in the course of the war. Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
The first external webste that I've linked to at the end of this page has Thorshov in station 63 of Convoy SL 71, which left Freetown on Apr. 8 and arrived Liverpool on May 4-1941. Later that month, we find her in Convoy OB 324, which departed Liverpool on May 18 and dispersed May 27. Her destination is not given, but from Page 1 of the archive documents, we learn that she arrived New York on June 4, having started out from Clyde on May 19. Follow the links for names of other Norwegian ships taking part. With a cargo of benzine, she headed back to the U.K. on July 22 in Convoy HX 140 from Halifax (station 83), together with the Norwegian Madrono (112), Boreas (16), Velox (56), Velma (96), Alaska (106), Stiklestad (95), Vardefjell (84), Evita (114), Olaf Bergh (124), Skiensfjord (97), Ferncastle (113), Bonneville (82), Thorshavet (43), and Helgøy (77). Beth and Petter were also initially in this convoy but left due to engine problems. On Aug. 16, we find her in station 62 of the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 8; her destination is given as New York and she arrived there on Aug. 31 (according to Page 2), the convoy having been dispersed on Aug. 25. Thorshov returned the following month in Convoy HX 149 from Halifax (in station 64), together with the Norwegian Daghild (station 63), Brasil (83), Thorsholm (33), Innerøy (35), Aristophanes (43), Somerville (66), Glittre (24), Lise (44), Harpefjell (86), Norvik (Panamanian flag, Norwegian managers and therefore included on this website, in station 84, behind Brasil), Brant County (87), Kollbjørg (73) and others. She later headed in the other direction again, having joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 24*, departing Liverpool on Oct. 8-1941, dispersed Oct. 15, Thorshov arriving New York on Oct. 25, returning with Convoy HX 158, which left Halifax on Nov. 3 and arrived Liverpool on the 18th. She subsequently joined the westbound Convoy ON 42*, which left Liverpool on Dec. 1-1941 and dispersed on the 14th. Her destination is given as Port Arthur; according to the archive document mentioned above, she arrived Houston on Dec. 25. On Jan. 8-1942, she joined Convoy HX 169 from Halifax, which arrived Liverpool on Jan. 23, and the following month, she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 63*, departing Liverpool on Febr. 2, dispersed Febr. 13. This time, she was bound for Aruba, where she arrived Febr. 21. According to Arnold Hague, she returned to the U.K. in March with Convoy HX 179, then joined the westbound Convoy ON 81*, which left Liverpool on March 29 and dispersed Apr. 9, Thorshov arriving New Orleans on Apr. 19. She went back to the U.K. again in June that year in Convoy HX 194 from Halifax, arriving Avonmouth, via Belfast Lough on June 27, later joining the westbound Convoy ON 109*, which originated in Liverpool on July 3 and arrived Halifax July 18; Thorshov, however, was bound for New York, where she arrived July 16, having started out from Milford Haven on July 2, according to Page 3. On Aug. 30, she can be found among the ships in Convoy HX 205 from Halifax. The Norwegian corvettes Potentilla, Montbretia, Acanthus and Eglantine are named among the escorts for this convoy. Thorshov now joined the westbound Convoy ON 133*, originating in Liverpool on Sept. 25-1942, arriving New York Oct. 11. Rick Pitz, a visitor to my website, has informed me via this message in my Gustbook that she later sailed in Convoy GAT 16, which left Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for Trinidad on Oct. 22 with 24 ships, among them several Norwegian (named in the Guestbook message). Thorshov's destination is given as Curacao, where she arrived, via Aruba, on Oct. 29. This convoy is now available at the external website that I've linked to at the end of this page, where we also learn that she had previously arrived Guantanamo from New York with Convoy NG 314 on Oct. 22. She headed to the U.K. again on Nov. 11, joining Convoy HX 215; her destination is given as Avonmouth, where she arrived, via Belfast Lough, on Nov. 26/27. At the beginning of the following month, she's listed in Convoy ON 151* which originated in Liverpool on Dec. 3-1942 and arrived New York Dec. 23. She now made another voyage to Curacao and back to New York - again, see Page 3. According to Arnold Hague, she went back to the U.K. in Convoy HX 227, departing New York on Febr. 18-1943, arriving Liverpool March 6; Thorshov stopped at Belfast Lough on March 5, proceeding to Avonmouth the next day, with arrival there March 7. This convoy is not yet available among the HX convoys included in my own Convoys section, but again, I've linked directly to Hague's listing at the end of this page. Acanthus and Eglantine are again named among the escorts. About a week later, Thorshov joined the westbound Convoy ON 173*, which left Liverpool on March 13 and arrived Halifax on the 29th; Thorshov, however, was again bound for New York, where she arrived March 31, according to Page 4, heading back to the U.K. on Apr. 12 in Convoy HX 234, again bound for Avonmouth, where she arrived, via Belfast Lough, on Apr. 30. The Norwegian Laurits Swenson acted as Commodore Vessel for this convoy. Thorshov now joined the westbound Convoy ON 182* in order to return to New York, where she arrived on May 21-1943, the convoy having originated in Liverpool on May 6 (Thorshov had started out from Milford Haven on May 5), and at the end of that month, I have her in station 122 of Convoy HX 242, which left New York on May 31 and arrived Liverpool on June 15; Thorshov stopped at Belfast Lough that day, her destination was again Avonmouth, and she arrived there on June 16. A month later, she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 193*, which originated in Liverpool on July 16 and arrived New York July 31 (Thorshov had started out from Milford Haven on July 15). From the U.S., she now headed to Bizerta the following month. After the allied invasion of the Italian mainland, convoy after convoy of troopships, supply ships and tankers passed in an endless stream through the straits of Gibraltar in the fall of 1943, and continued to the terminals in North Africa. Due to minefields, they had to pass through in daylight, and from there they proceeded within the vicinity of land at Spanish Morocco, where there was reason to believe German agents were numerous. Europa Point to the Alboran Island could be covered at night, but along the entire stretch passed Cape Bengut, 42 n. miles east of Algiers and to Bizerta in Tunisia, the convoys could expect attacks from German U-boats or aircraft. The terminal ports themselves, where the allied forces were being built up were, naturally, important targets for the German planes, especially Bizerta, a fact which Thorshov was to experience in Aug.-1943. Fortunately, my father missed this event, as he didn't join the ship until Sept. the following year. Thorshov had departed New York on Aug. 3 with a cargo of aviation fuel for Bizerta. On the 22nd the convoy* she was in passed through the straits of Gibraltar, and on board Thorshov all weapons were manned. On Aug. 26, they were 80 n. miles north of Bizerta when suddenly 3 torpedoes detonated inside the convoy, sinking the Commodore ship as well as 2? others. Nothing further happened, and they reached Bizerta the next day. On Sept. 6, while Thorshov was still unloading her cargo, an intense air attack took place. Her gunners, under the leadership of Mikal Mikkelsen, took part in the defence on this occasion, firing 1020 shots from her Oerlikon. Though bombs were falling in all directions around the ship, she escaped unscathed.
Her subsequent voyages are listed on Page 4 - convoy information for some of her voyages in this period can be obtained by following the instructions provided at the external link at the end of this page. In Nov.-1943, she made a voyage from Augusta to Bizerta with Convoy MKS 31 - scroll down to the second table on that page. She had left Augusta on Nov. 17 and arrived Bizerta on the 19th, and from there, she headed to the U.S. a few days later. In Apr.-1944, Thorshov started making some Trans-Atlantic voyages again. She's listed in Convoy HX 288 from New York on Apr. 18, bound for Swansea, where she arrived May 5, according to Page 5, later joining the westbound Convoy ON 236*, which originated in Liverpool on May 11 and arrived New York May 27 (Thorshov joined from Belfast Lough). In June, she sailed in Convoy HX 294, returning across the Atlantic with Convoy ON 242*, originating in Liverpool June 25 (Thorshov joined from Clyde), arriving New York July 11, and a few days later, we find her in the large Convoy HX 300 from New York; her destination is given as London. The following month, she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 250*, which originated in Liverpool on Aug. 24 and arrived New York Sept. 7, returning later that month in Convoy HX 310, bound for Swansea and Mersey. She subsequently joined Convoy ON 259*, which left Liverpool on Oct. 12 and arrived New York Oct. 29; Thorshov arrived Philadelphia on Oct. 30 (her departure Liverpool is given as Oct. 9 on the archive document mentioned above). From the U.S., she now headed to the Mediterranean again. My father mentions some voyages to the Mediterranean in one of his letters. He joined the ship in Oct.-1944 and stayed on board until May-1946. (See Letter No. 9 to his cousin, written on board Thorshov - he also talks about Thorshov in his Letter No. 4, and No. 8 - they can be reached via Odd's letters). She was scheduled for the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 333 on Jan. 18-1945, but did not sail. She was also cancelled from HX 335 at the end of that month, but later joined Convoy HX 336 on Febr. 2, returning to New York with Convoy ON 287*, which left Southend on Febr. 25 and arrived New York March 14 - see also Page 6. According to Arnold Hague, she went back to the U.K. in Convoy HX 350, departing New York on Apr. 13, arriving Liverpool Apr. 28 - ref. link at the end of this page. The last convoy she took part in, was the westbound Convoy ON 301*, which left Liverpool on May 7-1945 and arrived New York May 22 - in other words, VE Day was celebrated at sea. My father says in one of his letters (No. 9): "V-E day we were in the Atlantic in convoy as usual, so the day passed by very quiete, exept some depth-charges. It is the best way to celebrate such a great day, quiete and in thankfulness to those who losed their lives in the terrific struggle for freedom. I'm very thankfull that we got our country back, without total destruction as we feared. Among all others, the Norwegian people are very thankfull indeed. The country is of course much ruined, but it will soon be what it was before the war, and still better I hope. It may seams difficult, but it is not if the people do their very best." In another letter (No. 4) he says: "We were in about the same position as the passenger ship Athenia had been when she was sunk by a German U-boat on the 3rd of September, 1939. At that time I was on board the S/S Nidarland, and we went to assist her. Anyway, 6 years later I happened to be in just about the same position, and in the course of those 6 years I had taken note of a few disturbances, which I have now briefly told you about." Please note that only a selection of her convoy voyages are noted here; more convoy information will be added. Again, to find info on some of her convoy voyages made in between those already mentioned here, please follow the instructions provided at the external link below, then compare the results with the details found on the various archive documents.
Sold on Apr. 29-1954 to International Mercantile Navigation Co SA, Panama, and renamed Montemar. Sold to Brodospas, for scrap, and arrived Split on Dec. 31-1959 to be broken up. Related external links: Hyperwar - Linked directly to 1943 of Robert Cressman's book (see the text under Aug. 26), which says John Bell had a crew of 43, adding that both American ships sank the next morning, having been irreparably damaged. The British minesweeper HMS BYMS 23 and the South African armed whaler Southern Maid rescued John Bell's survivors, with the latter also participating in rescuing survivors from Richard Henderson. Back to Thorshov on the "Ships starting with T" page. Other ships by this name: Thor Dahl later had two more tankers by this name, one built 1955, sold 1965 and renamed Sem. Under Liberian ownership from 1967 with the name Assimi III. Caught on fire on Apr. 26-1968 soon after leaving Tandjong Uban, sank on May 1, 5 crew were lost. Another Thorshov was built 1967. This external site has more information on both of these. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague, and misc. other for cross checking info, some of which are named in the above text (my sources are named on my books page).
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