D/S Torfinn Jarl
Updated Oct. 4-2012

To Torfinn Jarl on the "Ships starting with T" page.


From Bjørn Milde's postcard collection.
See also this external page

Manager: Det Nordenfjeldske Dampskibsselskab, Trondheim
Tonnage: 1481 gt, 861 net, 2400 dwt.
Dimensions: 243' (lpp) x 39' 3" x 19' 3".
Machinery: Triple exp. steam engine by yard, 850 ihp, 10 knots.

Misc. Convoy Voyages:

For information on voyages made in between those mentioned here, please see the documents received from the National Archives of Norway and A. Hague's Voyage Record above. Follow the links provided for more convoy information; the Commodore's notes are also available for some of them, and several Norwegian ships took part.

As will be seen when going to Page 1 of the archive documents, Torfinn Jarl was in Blyth when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940, having arrived there that same day from Reykjavik. She later proceeded to Sunderland, before heading to France on May 3.

A French visitor to my website has told me that she sailed from Brest on May 13-1940 in Convoy 44 B under French escort, and proceeded to Casablanca or Oran. However, going back to the archive document, we learn that she arrived Algiers on May 21 - departure Brest is given as May 14. (The company's Tore Jarl also took part in this convoy, which is available via the external link provided within the Voyage Record above). A few days later, Torfinn Jarl continued to Gibraltar, where she on May 28 joined Convoy HGF 32, bound for Portland and London with potatoes and pyrites, station 72, sailing between the Norwegian Vilja and San Andres. Torfinn Jarl arrived Portland on June 6, London on June 9. The original convoy document gives her captain's name as A. Fredriksen. She subsequently remained in London for about a month and in July she's listed, together with Askeladden, in Convoy OA 182, which started out in Methil on July 10 and dispersed July 14 (also available via the link in the table above). Her destination is not given, but according to Page 1, she was only bound for Port Talbot on that occasion, arriving there on July 15. Later that month, she joined Convoy OG 39*, which originated in Liverpool on July 26 and arrived Gibraltar Aug. 6; Torfinn Jarl arrived Villa Real on Aug. 5. Ask and Roy are also listed in this convoy.

With a cargo of minerals and pyrites, she headed back to the U.K. again on Aug. 20-1940 in Convoy HG 42 from Gibraltar, bound for Silloth, where she arrived Sept. 4, later continuing to Ardrossan, with arrival there on Sept. 14. With Bruse, Bjerka and Svein Jarl, she subsequently joined Convoy OB 220, originating in Liverpool on Sept. 27, dispersed Oct. 1 (link in Voyage Record). Again, no destination is given, but from the archive document, we learn that she arrived New York on Oct. 14, having started out from Clyde Sept. 27. She was scheduled for Convoy HX 85 from Halifax on Nov. 1, but instead joined the slow Convoy SC 11 from Sydney, C.B. on Nov. 9, in which D/S Salonica, D/S Bruse and others were sunk - follow the links for more info. Torfinn Jarl arrived Dublin, via Belfast, on Nov. 30, continuing to Liverpool and Preston on Dec. 2 - again, see Page 1.

At the beginning of 1941 we find her, along with Ferncourt, Harpefjell, Leiv Eiriksson, Sommerstad and Stigstad, in Convoy OB 274, which departed Liverpool on Jan. 14 and dispersed on the 19th, Torfinn Jarl arriving St. John, N.B. on Jan. 27. She now remained there until March 2, when she proceeded to Halifax, and with a cargo of pulp wood and steel for Preston, she joined Convoy HX 113 from there on March 5, sailing in station 62, arriving Preston on March 24. According to Page 2, she left Preston again on Apr. 6, and A. Hague has now included her, with Brisk, Bruse Jarl, Marga, Marita, Nesttun, Polyana (sunk - follow link for details), Senta and Star, in Convoy OG 58*, which originated in Liverpool Apr. 6 and arrived Gibraltar Apr. 21; Torfinn Jarl arrived Seville Apr. 22. In May, she's listed in station 51 of Convoy HG 61 from Gibraltar, bound for Garston with pyrites and general, arriving May 21. Her captain's name is given as R. Manseth on that occasion, and the Commodore gives her praise for her good station keeping and signalling. See also the Commodore's narrative.

With Barbro, Elg, Hardanger, Havsten, Hellen, Ida Knudsen, Solfonn, Troubadour and Vivi, she later joined Convoy OB 331, departing Liverpool on June 8, dispersed June 19, Torfinn Jarl arriving Montreal (via Halifax) on June 24. (I've linked directly to both the OB convoys mentioned here within the Voyage Record). In July, she can be found in the Sydney, C.B. portion of Convoy HX 137, bound for Kings Lynn with flour, station 32, arriving her destination (via Loch Ewe and Methil Roads) on July 25. The Commodore says with regard to Torfinn Jarl, "Splendid station keeping. This vessel was exceptionally well handled during heavy weather. A very small vessel for the North Atlantic".

She went in the other direction again the following month with Convoy ON 6, and arrived Montreal on Aug. 27 (the convoy having been dispersed Aug. 24 - she had joined from Loch Ewe). According to Arnold Hague, she subsequently returned to the U.K. in Convoy SC 43* from Sydney, C.B. on Sept. 5-1941. Astrell, Atle Jarl, Bernhard, Bjørkhaug, Bonde (returned), Erica, Fjord, Fjordheim, Galatea, Ingerfem, Solstad and Vigsnes are also listed. Judging from Page 2, Torfinn Jarl was bound for London. With Askeladden, Fanefjeld (to Iceland), Harpefjell, Heina, Inger Elisabeth and Rolf Jarl, she later joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 27*, which originated in Liverpool on Oct. 16 and dispersed Nov. 2, Torfinn Jarl arriving Montreal Nov. 6 (having joined from Loch Ewe), heading back across the Atlantic on Nov. 22 in the slow Convoy SC 56 from Sydney, C.B., cargo of flour for Bristol. Arnold Hague says she lost touch with this convoy and joined up with Convoy HX 161 en route (HX 161 had originated in Halifax on Nov. 21 and arrived Liverpool Dec. 6). Torfinn Jarl arrived Bristol, via Belfast Lough and Barry Roads, on Dec. 9, proceeding to Swansea a couple of days later.

She now made voyages mostly around the U.K., as will be seen when going to Page 3 and Page 4 (convoy information for some of these can be found in the Voyage Record above), until she in May-1942 made a voyage from Loch Ewe to Weymouth, N.S., where she arrived May 26, having sailed in Convoy ON 94*, which had originated in Liverpool on May 12 and also included Carmelfjell (returned), Dux, Evanger (Commodore Vessel), Ingertre, Jan, Mathilda and Norelg (also returned). On June 12, she was scheduled to return in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 87, but instead joined the next convoy on June 19, SC 88. Her destination is given as Belfast Dock, cargo of lumber. Acanthus, Montbretia, Potentilla and Rose are named among the escorts - see SC convoy escorts. The following month, she joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 114*, which originated in Liverpool on July 19 and dispersed Aug. 4, Torfinn Jarl arriving New York the next day (she had started out from Milford Haven on July 17). She had again been in the company of several other Norwegian ships, namely Astrid, Berto, Bonneville (Commodore Vessel), Ingertre, Marga, Marie Bakke, Norhauk and Titanian.

Her subsequent voyages are listed on Page 4 and Page 5 of the archive documents; again, convoy information for some of these can be found in the Voyage Record - it'll be noticed that she had a long stay in Trinidad in the fall of 1942, before heading to New York, where she arrived Oct. 30.

Arnold Hague has now included her, with Bonneville, Brand (returned), Granfoss, Snar and Vanja, in Convoy SC 108*, departing New York on Nov. 1-1942, arriving Liverpool Nov. 19; Torfinn Jarl, cargo of bauxite, arrived Larne on Nov. 17/18. As will be seen, when going back to Page 5, she subsequently spent a long time at Barry, where she arrived on Nov. 24. Departure is given as Jan. 23-1943, when she proceeded to Avonmouth - perhaps this long stay was due to her being fitted out for the Torch Operations? She served as ammunition and supply ship for these operations, which had commenced in Nov.-1942 (Athos has a list of Norwegian ships taking part). From Avonmouth, she later continued to Milford Haven and on Febr. 16, A. Hague has her in Convoy KX 9, which arrived Gibraltar on Febr. 24 (ref. external link in Voyage Record). Torfinn Jarl continued to Bone 2 days later and from there she made a voyage to Oran in March, having joined Convoy MKS 9 - scroll down in the table on my page for this convoy. The following month, she made a voyage from Philippeville to Algiers in Convoy MKS 11, leaving the convoy at Algiers, where she arrived Apr. 12. (Bruse Jarl and Evviva are also included in this convoy). She left Algiers again on Apr. 14, joining Convoy KMS 12*, and arrived Bougie Apr. 16 (for info, this convoy had started out in Clyde on March 31 - Tore Jarl is also listed). Page 5 shows her subsequent voyages.

Skipping now to the end of July/beginning of Aug.-1943, when she's listed, again with destination Bougie (from Algiers), in Convoy KMS 21 (see the second table on that page) and the following month she can be found in Convoy MKS 24. A. Hague gives her voyage information as Malta to Augusta; according to Page 6, she left Malta for Syracuse on Sept. 9 - later arrived Augusta on Sept. 19. (For info, this convoy had left Alexandria on Sept. 4, arrived Gibraltar on the 13th, then continued to the U.K., after having joined up with Convoy SL 136 from Freetown on Sept. 14. Torfinn Jarl, however, was not part of the Gibraltar-U.K. convoy). In Dec.-1943, she's said to have made a voyage from Algiers to Oran with Convoy MKS 34 - again, scroll down to the second table on the page. The archive document gives her arrival Oran as Dec. 23 and says she had left Algiers Dec. 20.

From Oran she proceeded to Gibraltar a couple of days later, and she now remained there for quite a long time - departure is given as Febr. 21-1944, when she returned to the U.K. It also looks like she spent a long time at Barry later on; arrival date is very difficult to decipher on the archive document (Page 6) but it looks like March 6 (which agrees with A. Hague's record). She did not leave until May 8 when she sailed to Port Talbot, where she also had quite a long stay. It's possible she had been fitted out for the Normandy invasion, in which she took part. According to "Nortraships flåte", she arrived Omaha Beach on June 11-1944, departing June 23, making a total of 22 such voyages, mainly with petrol.

Again, for information on voyages made in between those already mentioned here, as well as some of her subsequent voyages, please see the archive documents and A. Hague's record above. Some of her 1944 voyages are shown on Page 7, others on Page 8, which also lists her early 1945 voyages. Page 9 has more 1945 voyages, while the rest (to Apr.-1946) are listed on Page 10. From the latter document we also learn that she went home to Norway in Aug.-1945.

* The ON convoys will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, along with further details on each. In the meantime, the ships sailing in them (and escorts) are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. All the OG, MKS and KMS convoys will also be added, but for now, see ships in OG convoys, ships in MKS convoys and ships in KMS convoys. Additionally, the entire SC series will be updated and completed (including the already existing convoys - some have already been updated), see ships in all SC convoys.

More info on the other Norwegian ships mentioned here is available via the alphabet index at the end of this page, or go to the Master Ship Index.

POST WAR:

Torfinn Jarl had a fire on board off Immingham in Sept-1946, placed in dock, sunk, raised. Minor damages, repaired in England. Sold in March-1950 to Nivaldi & Giacomini S.r.l. Transport Maritimi & Terrestri Genoa, Italy and renamed Valtellina, delivered on Apr. 13-1950. Sold in 1953 to Ligure Veneta de Navigation S.p.A., Genoa. Sold again in 1957 to Capt. Salvatore Lofaro, Napoli, no name change. Ran aground in bad weather near Lattakia on Jan. 28-1968. Wreck sold later that same year for breaking up.

Back to Torfinn Jarl on the "Ships starting with T" page.

Nordenfjeldske later had a Torfinn Jarl delivered in May-1956, 839 gt, later lengthened and became 968 gt. Had 3 different owners between 1976 and 1987. Still in service in 1999 under the name Doma T (Greek Owners).

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, Det Nordenfjeldske D/S fleet list, Finn R. Hansen and misc. (ref. My sources).

Aa–Al	An–Ar	As–Av	Ba	Be	Bi–Bl	Bo	Br–Bu	C	D
E	F	G	Ha	He	Hi–Hy	Hø	I	J	K
L	M	N	O	PQ	R	Sa–Sc	Se–Sj	Sk–Sn	So
Sp–St	Su–Sø	Ta–Te	Th–Ti	To	Tr–Tø	U	V	W	Ø