M/S Tortugas
Updated Apr. 9-2009

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

Crew List

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

Some Convoy Voyages:

(More convoy information will be added).

As will be seen when going to Page 1 above, Tortugas got out of Norway not long before the German invasion (Apr. 9-1940). She had left Bergen, Norway on March 23 and arrived New York Apr. 7.

She's listed in Convoy SL 91, which left Freetown on Oct. 27-1941. Tortugas arrived Liverpool Nov. 20.

In March-1942, we find her in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 74, originating in Liverpool on March 9, arriving Halifax on the 25th. Tortugas had joined from Loch Ewe, and from Halifax, she proceeded to New York, where she arrived Apr. 1, according to Page 2. This convoy will be added to an individual page in my Convoys section; in the meantime, the ships sailing in it are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys.

Related external links:
Convoy SL 91 (see also SL 91GS).

Final Fate - 1942:

Tortugas was torpedoed and sunk by U-67 (Müller-Stöckheim) on Nov. 18-1942 east of Barbados in position 12 39N 54 59W, when on a voyage alone from Calcutta and Table Bay (where her engine was inspected and minor repairs undertaken) to Trinidad and the Clyde with 2200 tons manganese ore, 1000 tons of jute and 14000 casks of tea. She had left Table Bay on Oct. 25. The torpedo struck between No. 4 and 5 hatch on the port side, and she sank with the stern first in about 8 minutes.

All 38 survived and were in 4 lifeboats when the U-boat approached about 4 minutes later. Captain Endresen and 1st Engineer Trygve Jensen were taken prisoners. The captain had his wife on board, and a report based on the survivors' statements says that a request by the captain's wife to be taken with him was denied by the commander of the U-boat. The 2 officers spent 34 days on the boat before they were landed at Lorient, then sent to a prison camp (Marlag und Milag Nord). They were released in Nov.-1943 and sent to Norway, along with 25 other Norwegian seamen.

The motorboat took the other 3 boats in tow, heading west. At dawn on Nov. 19 the wind increased and in order to save on petrol they stopped towing and sail was set. The 3rd mate's boat and the boatswain's boat soon sailed ahead of the other 2 lifeboats and disappeared out of sight. When the wind decreased that evening the motorboat took the 2nd mate's boat in tow, but during the night the motor stopped and they again set sail until the following morning when the towing resumed. However, they ran out of petrol that afternoon so sail was set again and the 2 boats subsequently lost sight of each other. In the morning of Nov. 22 the 1st mate's motorboat met up with the 2 lifeboats that had sailed ahead earlier on, but lost touch again.

The 10 in the 1st mate's boat saw land on Nov. 26, and landed at Guayaguare Bay, Trinidad that same afternoon. They were later sent to Port of Spain. The 18 survivors in the 3rd mate's and the boatswain's boats were picked up by the American steamer Herman F. Whiton on Nov. 26 and landed at Georgetown on Nov. 28, while the remaining 8 in the 2nd mate's boat landed at Port of Spain on Nov. 29, having been picked up by a Yugoslavian ship about 50 miles off Port of Spain.

An inquiry was held in New York on Dec. 22-1942 with the 1st mate, the 2nd engineer, Ordinary Seaman Karlsen, and Able Seaman Kristensen appearing.

The position given above is taken from the 1st mate's report presented at the inquiry. Rohwer says 13 24N 55 00W, Roger Jordan says 13 24N 54 59W. The position 14N 54W has also been noted.

Crew List - No casualties:
P = Taken prisoner
The 1st mate was on duty on the bridge when the attack occurred.
Ordinary Seaman Karlsen was at the helm.
Able Seaman Kristensen was on duty by the gun.
The 2nd engineer was on watch in the engine room

Captain Rolf Endresen P	Captain's Wife Olaug Endresen	1st Mate Agnar Hansen	2nd Mate Henri Lien	3rd Mate Einar Thomassen	Radio Operator Harold Clay (British)
Carpenter Olav Grimholt	Boatswain Ole Johan Næss	Able Seaman Kjell Sæthre	Able Seaman Maurits Allum	Able Seaman Nils Nilsen	Able Seaman Ingebreth Eik
Able Seaman Haakon Hansen	Able Seaman Kaare Moe	Able Seaman Ivar Ivarsen	Able Seaman/Gunner Hans Johan Monsen	Able Seaman/Gunner Knud Angel Kristensen	Ordinary Seaman Thorbjørn Thoresen
Ordinary Seaman Jacob Karlsen	Ordinary Seaman Tormod Myklebust	1st Engineer Trygve Jensen P	2nd Engineer Ole Meyer Olsen	3rd Engineer Edgar Eliassen	Assistant Arne Chr. Flathaug
Electrician Birger Eliassen	Mechanic Charles Johannesen	Mechanic Rudolf Tillgren	Mechanic Willy Veili	Mechanic Aksel L. Larsen	Mechanic Trygve Ambrosiussen
Oiler Anders Torkildsen	Steward Eivind Johannesen	Cook Sverre Pettersen	Mess Boy James R. A. Buzzeo (British)	Cabin Boy James Carr (British)	Gunner Edward E. Cave (British)
Gunner Edwin W. C. Saunders (British)	Gunner ? Leak (British)

Related external links:
Operations information for U-67 - As this page shows, this U-boat was responsible for the loss of several Norwegian ships.

U-67 | Günther Müller-Stöckheim

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

Wilh. Wilhelmsen later had two more ships by this name, one of them being the former General Fleischer, link under Torrens above.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: Wilh. Wilhelmsen fleet list, "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume II, Norwegian Maritime Museum, and misc. for cross checking - (ref. My sources).