D/S Tres - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Manager: Rafen & Loennechen, Tønsberg
Tonnage: 946 gt, 1300 tdwt
Signal Letters: LFDH

Delivered in March-1917 from Porsgrunds mek. Verksted, Porsgrunn as Tres to M. S. Pedersens Rederi (A/S Morten S. Pedersen), Tønsberg, 876 gt, 451 net, 1250 tdwt, 202' x 32' x 12', Triple expansion (PMV) - (this accordng to "Våre gamle skip" by Leif M. Bjørkelund and E. H. Kongshavn. She must have gone to Rafen & Loennechen later on, possibly rebuilt?).

Related items on this website:
A Guestbook message from the grandson of Ordinary Seaman Espe, looking for more info on him (E-mail address can be supplied via my contact address at the bottom of this page). He later perished with Chr. Knudsen
Thread on Ship Forum - Re. aircraft attack in Aug.-1940.

With a general cargo for Hull, Tres is listed as sailing in Convoy HN 16 from Norway to the U.K. in March.-1940. A. Hague has also included her in Convoy HN 25, which left Bergen on Apr. 7 (2 days before Norway was invaded) and arrived Methil on the 12th - follow the links for more info, several Norwegian ships took part in both these convoys. See also Page 1 of the archive documents.

Apart from a couple of voyages to France, Tres was subsequently mostly in service around the U.K., as will be seen from the various archive documents.

Bombed - 1940:

Tres left Goole on July 26-1940 for Plymouth with a cargo of 1096 tons coal, anchoring outside Spurn Point to await a convoy, continuing in convoy the following day at noon. On July 28, a pilot came on board outside Fisherman Gate and that afternoon they dropped anchor near Southend according to orders, then continued on Aug. 7 (A. Hague has included her, together with Audun, in Convoy CW 9 - external link, there's more information on this attack in this thread on my Ship Forum).

At 02:15 on Aug. 8, when outside Newhaven, the convoy was attacked by several aircraft and torpedo boats (according to the 1st mate's report), the attacks lasting until 04:15. While this was going on the ships maneuvered in zig-zags with varying speeds. That same day, at 12:25, masses of aircraft appeared and a terrific bombardment started (St. Helens Roads?), and Tres was eventually hit amidships by 4 bombs, immediately setting her on fire. The entire crew (15 + 3 gunners) took to the lifeboats, 8 of whom were in the starboard boat which was later machine gunned, but nobody was hit. The port boat had 10 men. (This is the opposite of what is noted in a report of an interview with the 1st mate dated Aug. 13, see Tres - Page 2).

Captain Kvilhaug stated at the subsequent inquiry that Tres had 2 machine guns on the upper bridge and 2 on the after platform, served by 3 British gunners and the 2nd mate (upper bridge). He estimated there were about 50 planes, 20 of which were bombers, Tres being the last ship to be attacked. He ran down to the chart room to save the ship's papers, but was hit by something and rendered unconscious for a while. Finding the chart room on fire, he ran out on the bridge and down to the boat deck, where all hands were in the boats except for the cook, who subsequently lowered himself down by the tackle; he ended up in the water but was immediately picked up by the port lifeboat. The captain, in great pain, having received serious burns to his face and hands was also placed in the port boat.

They rowed towards a tug which picked them up, then later transferred them to the patrol vessel Ostende of Antwerp in order to get ashore as quickly as possible, several of the crew having been badly injured. They were landed in Portsmouth at 18:00. In addition to burns, Captain Kvilhaug was suffering from shock and both his ear drums were pierced, while the cook had injured his leg and was also suffering from shock. Both were immediately taken to the Naval Hospital, and later Ordinary Seaman Palmer was admitted to the same hospital, having injured both legs and an arm, while the remaining crew members were put up at the Military Barracks. The steward and the 1st mate were given medical treatment there, while Able Seaman Johnsen had been treated aboard Ostende. Gunner Glouster is said to have shot down one of the planes during the attack.

The maritime hearings were held in London on Sept. 19-1940 with only the captain attending (the others were in Southampton). He had been in the hospital until Aug. 27.

According to "Nortraships flåte", the cook died at a hospital in Haston Gasport a couple of months after the attack. However, from statements given at the inquiry I gather that he died as early as Aug. 13 at the Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar suffering from Diphtheria, Pneumonia and multiple injuries. "Våre falne", a series of 4 books naming Norwegians who died during the war, gives the date of his demise as Nov. 13-1940, and adds that he had been on board since July-1940 (the book gives the date of attack as Aug. 13-1940). He had previously served on Spica.

Tres had drifted ashore*, the fire was extinguised, she was repaired and sailed for the rest of the war, still with Captain Kvilhaug in command.

* Accordng to Page 1 of the archive documents, she arrived Southampton in tow on Aug. 16, later proceeding to Cowes, then back to Southampton (Aug. 29), where she appears to have remained until June 23-1941. She also had a long stay at Tyne later that year.

She later took part in the Normandie invasion, arriving June 9-1944 with ammunition and supplies, departing June 14 to pick up more cargo (according to "Nortraships flåte").

It'll be noticed, when going to the misc. archive documents, that she occasionally had long stays in port. From Page 15, we learn that she could finally go home to Norway in Febr.-1946.