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D/S Tordenskjold
Updated Apr. 7-2009

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

A picture is available on this external page (click in it to enlarge).

Manager: Det Nordenfjeldske Dampskibsselskab, Trondheim
Tonnage:
921 gt, 550 net, 840 tdwt.

Delivered in Apr.-1906 from Trondhjems mek. Verksted as Tordenskjold (123) to Det Nordenfjeldske Dampskibsselskab, Trondhjem. 205' 9"/195' (loa/lpp) x 29' 6" x 15' 6"/22' 8" (D/D1), Triple exp. steam engine by yard, 741 ihp at trials, 12 knots, 2 cargo holds. Certified for 200 passengers in coastal service, and 85 in North Sea service. Put into service to Hamburg. Ran aground near Egersund on Apr. 5-1910 and had to be beached in Hovlandsviken due to heavy damages. Ran aground again on Jan. 29-1913 near Bardalsøen in Ranenfjord, but continued to Bodø. Collided in the North Sea on May 28-1913 with the Danish D/S Trankebar, but was able to continue to Hamburg in spite of extensive damages. Went into coastal service in 1917. Ran aground at Hånæs on March 7-1919, between Grytten and Tungenes Light, refloated and taken in tow to Bru, then after diver examinations she was taken to Bergen for repairs. In service as "replacement" vessel in Hurtigruten in 1920-'21. In regularly scheduled coastal service 1922-'40. In Febr.-1929 she replaced Kong Harald which had been damaged by fire outside Kirkenes (Hurtigruten). Had engine trouble near Rissa on Febr. 10-1937 and was taken in tow to Brekstad by D/S Fosen. Boiler damage was repaired and she returned to Trondheim.

Captain: Morten Lossius.

Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3


 Misc. War Details: 

This ship is listed in Convoy ON 20 from the U.K. to Norway in the middle of March-1940. She's said to have returned to the U.K. with Convoy HN 23B at the end of that month, but there seems to be some confusion re the identity of this ship in that the Advance Sailing Telegram for this convoy says this was the 575 gt Tordenskjold, while A. Hague claims it was the 921 gt one. Even if it were the 921 gt ship, it looks like she did not sail, because she shows up again in Convoy HN 25, which left Bergen on Apr. 7-1940 and arrived Methil on the 12th.

However, she's said to have been in Harstad, Norway on her way north when Norway was attacked by the Germans on Apr. 9-1940, so it looks like the Tordenskjold in some (or possibly all?) of the above convoys was the other ship by this name. Note also that A. Hague claims that the ship sailing in all the convoys listed on my page about the other Tordenskjold was the 921 gt ship, but this appears to be incorrect - follow the link above for more info.

After her voyage had been completed she was ordered into Hurtigruten service between Mosjøen and Kirkenes. On May 3, 2 of her crew were injured when she came under air attack in Solbergfjord. Requisitioned for use as troop transport. Knew about the planned meeting at Kågsund on June 7-1940 (please see D/S Finmarken for more details on this), but didn't have enough fuel to make it further west from there. She was on the coast of Finnmark when notification of the plan reached her. She got what she needed in Hammerfest, proceeded from Sarnespollen/Honningsvåg to Longyearbyen, Svalbard on June 9, was replenished with coal again there and continued to Iceland. On June 17 she was put into service as troop transport between the U.K., Iceland, the Faroe Islands and the Shetland Islands.

In Aug.-1943 we find her in Convoy RU 85 from Reykjavik to the U.K., together with Galtesund - see also Page 1.

Tordenskjold took part in the Normandie operations as depot ship in June-1944. A. Hague has included her in Convoy ETC 67 from Southend on Aug. 13 that year (external link).

It'll be noticed, when going to Page 2, that the last entry on the document seems a bit out of place (when comparing to the first entry on Page 3). Strangely, it looks like that last entry on Page 2 belongs to the other Tordenskjold; see this archive document showing her voyages in this period.

 POST WAR: 

Returned to Nordenfjeldske in 1945, and arrived Trondheim on March 11-1946 for the first time after the war had ended. Modernized and rebuilt at Trondhjem mek. Verksted, completed in May-1946 and returned to Hurtigruten service as a "reserve" vessel, certified for 250 passengers. Taken out of the route on Apr. 15-1947 for "spring overhaul", then returned to service on May 25. Laid up in Trondheim in June-1950. Sold in Jan.-1951 to Remorquage Letzer S. A., Antwerp/Ostende along with Kong Harald and renamed Wenduyne for use as "bathing ship" at Ostende. Sold to Belgian breakers at Brugge in June-1954.

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

Other ships by this name:
Nordenfjeldske also had a Tordenskjold (sail) in the 1800's, delivered from J. Wigham Richardson & Co., Newcastle in Apr.-1868, 571 gt - wrecked near Torungen Light, Arendal on March 9-1905.

The Norwegian Navy also had the coastal defense ship Tordenskjold, built 1897, 3858 gt - taken as prize by the Germans when Norway was invaded in Apr.-1940 and used as anti-aircraft vessel with the name Nymphe. Bombed and sunk by British aircraft in the spring of 1945.

The book "Damp - Dampskipets æra i Vestfold" mentions a whale catcher by this name, built 1899, no tonnage given. Owned by Th. Laurantson, Tønsberg, then by Durban Whaling Co. from 1913 (Mackeurtan), whose Norwegian representative was Johs. Bruu, Tønsberg. Owned by The Grinrod Whaling Co., Cape Town in 1928. Also, this book lists a D/S Tordenskjold, built 1889, 1186 gt - for Wilh. Wilhelmsen, Tønsberg. Sold to Japan in 1903, renamed Chiyoda Maru 2, aground 1917, but refloated and repaired, sank near Iwate Apr. 11-1920. Another D/S Tordenskjold was built for Wilh. Wilhelmsen in Newcastle in 1903, 3572 gt. Had owners in Stettin from 1922, renamed Hunding, then Katharina Dorothea Fritzen of Emden 1924-1925 - lost near Skudenes on voyage Rotterdam-Narvik in ballast. (Source: Wilh. Wilhelmsen fleet list).

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nordenfjeldske 1857-1985" (fleet list) by Finn R. Hansen - (ref. My sources).

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