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D/S Topdalsfjord To Topdalsfjord on the "Ships starting with T" page. Manager: Den Norske Amerikalinje A/S, Oslo. Launched on May 5-1921 by Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal (Yard No. 82) for NAL. Delivered in July 1921. Captain: Karl A. Kristensen. Related item on this website: The Memorial for Seamen in Stavern, Norway (external link) claims that Topdalsfjord was torpedoed in the North Atlantic in the winter of 1941, and that Mechanic Birger Kornelius Olsen died on shore after having been in a lifeboat for 8 days. I have never seen this incident mentioned anywhere else, and I don't believe Topdalsfjord was ever torpedoed. However, in the Norwegian magazine "Krigsseileren" No. 1/1985 I happened upon the names of 16 Norwegians who are buried at Pine Ridge Cemetery, Saranac, NY. One of them is a Birger Olsen from Topdalsfjord, who is said to have died in Nov.-1942 following an illness. Please go to Norwegian War Graves for more information about this Norwegian memorial in Saranac.
Topdalsfjord covered 208 114 miles during the war, carrying 116 489 tons of cargo. In Dec.-1939 she transported, among other things, 94 cases of gold from Bergen, Norway to the U.S., valued at 30 million dollars. Another load of gold was transported in March 1940. She was mostly in service in the Atlantic, but also made voyages to Africa and the Mediterranean, as will be seen further down on this page. She's listed in the U.K. to Norway Convoy ON 25 in Apr.-1940. Since she was under Allied control throughout the war, she must have been among the ships that turned around and headed back to the U.K., due to the German invasion of Norway on Apr. 9. In June-1940 she's listed in Convoy OA 168, which left Southend on June 15 and joined up with Convoy OB 168 from Liverpool 2 days later, the combined convoy forming Convoy OG 34F, which arrived Gibraltar on June 24 (see also ships in all OG convoys). Topdalsfjord, however, was only bound for Fowey on that occasion. Later that month she was one of several Norwegian ships in Convoy OA 175, which departed Southend on June 27-1940 and dispersed on July 1. She was on a voyage from Southampton to Norfolk, VA, station 55 - ref. external links below, as well as my own page related to OA 175 (Vice Commodore's report). She was one of several Norwegian ships in the Halifax-U.K Convoy HX 70 in Sept.-1940, carrying phosphates for Garston, station 62. The following month we find her in Convoy OB 228, which left Liverpool on Oct. 13 and dispersed on the 17th (the Norwegian Dokka was sunk - see also some reports related to OB 228 on my own site). In Nov. she sailed in Convoy HX 85, cargo of iron ore for Port Talbot, and in Dec. that same year she's listed in Convoy OB 257, leaving Liverpool on Dec. 10-1940. Her destination is given as Baltimore - again, see the external link below for the names of other ships in the OB convoys, some of which were Norwegian. Topdalsfjord acted as the Commodore's ship several times, the first time in Jan.-1941, possibly for Convoy HX 106? She's listed in station 51 of this convoy, which left Halifax on Jan. 30 and arrived Liverpool on Febr. 18. At the external website that I've linked to below she's subsequently listed as bound for Hampton Roads and Barbados in Convoy OB 295, leaving Liverpool on March 8-1941, dispersed March 14, and in May that year I have her in station 44 of the A section of Convoy HX 125, bound for Clyde with a cargo of sugar, having cancelled from the previous convoy, HX 124 - follow the links provided for more convoy details. The following month she's listed as bound for Halifax in Convoy OB 336, which left Liverpool on June 15 and dispersed on the 25th. A visitor to my website has informed me that Topdalsfjord was in Convoy HX 141 which departed Halifax on July 27-1941 with 60 ships and arrived Liverpool on Aug. 11. As can be seen by clicking on the link, I have very limited information on this convoy, but the external site below has more. (Malmanger also took part but left the convoy on Aug. 6 for Iceland). Later that month she took station 92 of the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 9 (departure Aug. 20); her destination was New York, and she returned to the U.K. in Sept. with Convoy HX 150. Other Norwegian ships in the latter convoy were Fenris (station 83), Solfonn (44), Havkong (84), Garonne (62), Thorshavet (33), Heina (64), Varanger (66?) and Braganza (66?). More details on the other Norwegian ships mentioned here can be found with the help of the alphabet index at the end of this page. The following month we find her in station 13 of the westbound Convoy ON 24*, departing Liverpool on Oct. 8, dispersed on the 15th. She was again bound for New York. The external website that I've linked to below also has her in Convoy HX 163 in Dec.-1941. As will be seen, she's not mentioned on my own page about this convoy, but my information may be incomplete. In Jan.-1942 she's listed as bound for New York in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 56*, which left Liverpool on Jan. 12 and dispersed on the 16th. She reported being followed by a U-boat in the Caribbean on May 31-1942, but escaped unharmed. Identity of boat is unknown. In June/July that year she can be found among the ships in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 196. She also reported being attacked by a U-boat on Aug. 3 that year (New Foundland banks), but escaped on this occasion as well. Note that she's listed as bound for Hampton Roads in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 115* in this time period (departure Liverpool July 24-1942). A couple of months later, in Oct.-1942, she's listed, with a cargo of sugar and logs for Greenock, in station 54 of the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 212 (in which Kosmos II was sunk, and Frontenac torpedoed), before taking part in the Torch operations, which commenced in Nov.-1942 (my page about Athos has a list of Norwegian ships taking part in these operations). She's listed in Convoy KMS 5, leaving Clyde for Gibraltar and North Africa on Dec. 11-1942, also including the Norwegian Anna Knudsen, Vardefjell and Norelg. Topdalsfjord returned to the U.K. in Jan.-1943 with Convoy MKS 5, which arrived Liverpool on Jan. 22. The following month she's listed in Convoy KMS 10, which left Clyde on Febr. 26-1943. It looks like she was bound for Philippeville on that occasion (see narrative for March 11 on my page about KMS 10). At the end of March-1943 she's mentioned in Convoy MKS 10 - scroll down in the table on my page for that convoy. Going back to the external website below we find her in Convoy OS 47 / KMS 14 in May-1943, voyaging from Milford to Bougie in station 51. This convoy departed Liverpool on May 5 and split up on the 16th. Topdalsfjord was in the Gibraltar section which arrived there on May 17, while the OS convoy continued to Freetown, with arrival May 25. Topdalsfjord was still present when KMS 14* continued from Gibraltar to Bone on May 17. For her return voyage she joined Convoy SL 130 / MKS 14 at the beginning of June. The SL portion had left Freetown on May 30-1943, but it looks like Topdalsfjord joined at Gibraltar with MKS 14*, which joined up with SL 130 on June 11, the combined convoy arriving Liverpool on June 21. Her cargo is given as iron ore, and she also had passengers on board, voyage Bougie-Loch Ewe. The following month she shows up in the westbound North Atantic Convoy ON 192*, which left Liverpool on July 9-1943 and arrived New York, her destination on that occasion, on the 22nd. In Sept.-1943 she acted as Commodore Vessel for Convoy HX 256 with the Norwegian Brimanger as Vice Commodore's ship. Topdalsfjord had a general cargo for Greenock and had station 71 of the convoy, which left New York on Sept. 9 and arrived Liverpool on the 21st. The following month she's listed as bound for Algiers in Convoy KMS 30*, which departed Liverpool on Oct. 17-1943 and arrived Gibraltar on the 31st. In Nov.-1943 she made a voyage from Algiers to Gibraltar with Convoy MKS 31 - scroll down to the second table on that page. She's also listed as making a voyage from Gibraltar to Takoradi in Convoy OS 59 that month - this convoy had started out from the U.K. on Nov. 16-1943 as the combined convoy OS 59 / KMS 33 which split up on Nov. 28 (note, however, that Topdalsfjord was not present from the U.K.). The external site below also has her in the Freetown-Takoradi Convoy ST 77 in Dec.-1943, returning to Freetown later that month with Convoy TS 55, which arrived Freetown on Dec. 30.
Related external links: The same site also has information on
At the beginning of the new year we find her listed in Convoy SL 145 / MKS 36. The SL portion of this convoy, in which she sailed, had departed Freetown on Jan. 1-1944, joined up with the MKS* convoy from Gibraltar on the 12th, the combined convoy arriving Liverpool on Jan. 24. Topdalsfjord had a cargo of cocoa and W.A. produce (the Norwegian Ragnhild and Lisbeth also took part in this convoy). Some ships in this convoy, including Topdalsfjord (bound for Hull) arrived Oban Anchorage on Jan. 22, sailed onwards with Convoy WN 35 which left Oban on Jan. 24. Again, follow the external link about these convoys further down on this page for more information. (However, this last piece of information is a little confusing, because she's not included in Convoy WN 35, and as will be seen by following this external link, departure date for WN 35 is given as Nov. 8-1940). At the beginning of Febr.-1944 she was still in Hull loading war stores and explosives for the Mediterranean. The following gunners joined the ship there on Febr. 3: Birger W. Johansen, Yngvar Helliesen, Albert O. Liljevold, Einar T. Aronsen and Arne K. Thommessen (previously of Bosphorus, Kong Haakon VII and Belnor), then a few days later Odd Larsen and Einar Hansen. Gunnery Officer was Gunnar Slatlem. She left Hull for Leith on Febr. 11, arriving there on the 13th. Gunner Viktor Solberg joined, making the total number of Norwegian gunners the required 8. She also had British gunners. (Gunner Aronsen was needed for D/S Tore Jarl a few days later). Topdalsfjord loaded more war stores in Leith until Febr. 27, then headed for Methil (by then Gunner Henry N. Østerfeldt had completed their numbers again) and from there to Oban on the 29th, where she arrived together with other ships on March 3. The following day they went out to join ships from various English and Scottish ports to form a large convoy, some with destination Gibraltar, others were going to misc. Mediterranean ports (this was Convoy OS 70/KMS 44, which left Liverpool on March 3 and split up on March 15 - see external link below for more convoy details). They passed through the Straits of Gibraltar on March 17. Topdalsfjord, in station 61 of the convoy, had Malta as her destination. In the evening of March 19 the convoy (KMS 44*) was attacked by aircraft between Algiers and Cape Carbon. No ships were hit, but when Topdalsfjord arrived Malta on the 22nd they were told that 4 German aircraft had been shot down. D/S Gezina also took part in defending the convoy (as did Topdalsfjord. "Nortraships flåte" claims that the convoy consisted of 70 ships with a very strong escort). Topdalsfjord stayed in Valetta unloading cargo until Apr. 15-1944 at which time she joined a convoy consisting of about 30 ships coming from Italy, its numbers increasing as they passed North African coastal ports. They were attacked by aircraft, but no ships appear to have been hit and they arrived Gibraltar on Apr. 22 (note that she's listed as bound from Malta to Gibraltar in Convoy MKS 46* in this time period. This particular portion had originated in Port Said on Apr. 9, and arrival date Gibraltar is given as Apr. 21). The following day they joined a small convoy for Freetown, arriving there on May 3. (This was Convoy OS 74, which had started out in Liverpool on Apr. 12-1944 as the combined convoy OS 74 / KMS 48, then split up on Apr. 23, the KMS portion arriving Gibraltar on Apr. 25, while the OS convoy had continued to Freetown, with arrival May 3, as mentioned - ref. external link to OS 74 provided below). She started loading peanuts straight into her holds, but on May 12 they were suddenly ordered to sail again, and on May 14 she arrived Dakar (*) where more peanuts were loaded. The Norwegian Tamerlane was also there at the time, and the 2 Norwegian crews celebrated May 17 together (Norway's constitution day). While there, Gunner Odd Larsen transferred to Salta which was also at Dakar.
Topdalsfjord left on May 20 and joined a small convoy for the UK, meeting up with a larger convoy coming out of Gibraltar. This would have been Convoy SL 159 / MKS 50, in which she's listed as bound from Dakar to Clyde at the external site below. Cargo is given as groundnuts, and she also carried mail and 5 passengers. (SL 159 had started out in Freetown on May 17-1944 and joined up with the MKS convoy* from Gibraltar on May 31, the combined convoy arriving Liverpool on June 11). En route the news of the Normandy invasion reached them. After having passed Northern Ireland the convoy split up, with Topdalsfjord heading south to the Bristol Channel, arriving Avonmouth on June 12. The peanuts were discharged, and war stores taken on board again. Gunner John Johnsen now joined them, again meeting the required number of 8 Norwegian gunners. She continued to Cardiff on June 22 where more war stores were loaded for the Mediterranean (Gunner Einar Hansen left them in Cardiff, and Edgar Olai Olsen replaced him), departing Cardiff again on June 29, arriving Belfast on June 30, then departed for Gibraltar the next day (with Convoy OS 82/KMS 56, which left Liverpool on July 1 and split up on July 11, the KMS convoy arriving Gibraltar on July 13, while the OS convoy continued to Freetown, with arrival there on July 21 - ref. external link below). A few ships went in to Gibraltar while Topdalsfjord proceeded to Bizerta (still with Convoy KMS 56*) with arrival on July 17, where cargo was discharged until July 30, while enduring several air attacks. On July 31 she's listed as joining Convoy GUS 47, which had originated in Port Said on July 24-1944; Topdalsfjord's destination is given as Gibraltar. (The Norwegian Tricolor, Polartank, Kong Sverre, Fernplant, and Lidvard were in this convoy from Port Said, while Topdalsfjord later joined from Bizerta, as mentioned). Off Algiers, early in the morning hours of Aug. 2 when en route in convoy towards Gibraltar, the alarm was sounded but nothing further took place and before reaching Gibraltar she was ordered to Casablanca alone for cargo, arriving there on Aug. 4, and they could finally get a good night's sleep. On Aug. 13 she joined up with a convoy coming from Gibraltar which was headed for New York. This must have been Convoy GUS 48 in which she's mentioned. They could hardly believe they were going to a place with no war for a change, though they still faced some tense moments when, half way to their destination on Aug. 21, 3 U-boats were reported to have been observed heading for the convoy's course, but she arrived New York in the evening of Aug. 26-1944 without further incidents. Seeing a city fully lit was quite an experience for those on board after having grown accustomed to the blacked out cities of Europe. All her cargo was to be unloaded and new cargo taken on in New York, so she was to stay there for a while. 3 of the gunners now paid off, among them Arne Thommessen who on Sept. 14-1944 joined D/T Torborg. Topdalsfjord, meanwhile, had left New York with Convoy HX 308 on Sept. 13, bound for London with general cargo. At the end of Nov. that year we find her in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 268*, which left Southend on Nov. 23 and arrived New York on Dec. 10 (her destination is not given).
Topdalsfjord acted as Commodore Vessel for Convoy HX 330 in Jan.-1945 (Commodore Rear Admiral E. W. Leir), then returned across the Atlantic the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 282*, departing Liverpool on Febr. 1-1945, arriving New York on the 19th (again, not destination is provided for Topdalsfjord). She also acted as Commodore Vessel for Convoy HX 344 in March (Commodore Vice Admiral M.L. Goldsmith). The latter convoy, which left New York on March 14-1945 and arrived Liverpool on the 28th, is not available to me, but see the external link below. She's also listed, with no voyage information, in the westbound Convoy ON 297*, which left Liverpool on Apr. 17 and arrived New York on May 2.
Arrived at Hamburg on Jan. 9-1955 for breaking up by Eisen und Metall K. G., Lehr & Co. Related external links: OS and OS/KMS Convoys - The site also has a section for the SL convoys. As can be seen, Topdalsfjord is listed in Convoy OS 47/KMS 14, SL 130 / MKS 14, SL 145 / MKS 36, OS 70 / KMS 44, Convoy SL 159 / MKS 50 and OS 82/KMS 56. OS 74 / KMS 48 is also included, but Topdalsfjord is not mentioned, because she was not present from the U.K., but see OS 74 in another section of the site. Norway Heritage Projcet has quite a bit of information on the NAL vessels. To Topdalsfjord on the "Ships starting with T" page. Den norske Amerikalinje had another ship by this name from 1959 till 1978.
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