Owner: Skibs-A/S Trolla
Manager: Karl Torkildsen, Trondheim
Tonnage: 1597 gt
Signal Letters: LFDN

Delivered in March-1923 from Laxevaag Maskin & Jernskibsbyggeri, Bergen (134) as cargo vessel Ringaas to A/S D/S Ringaas (Stephansen & Torgersen), Oslo. Steel hull, 245.9’ x 37.9’ x 15.7’, 1597 gt, 2400 tdwt, Triple Expansion (Laxevaag) 167nhp, 9 knots. Sold in July-1928 to Skibs-A/S Trolla (Karl Torkildsen), Trondheim, renamed Trolla, Captain Torleif Mauritz Torkildsen (owner's son). In North Sea service, typically with wood pulp, lumber, ore and minerals from Norway to the continent and U.K., carrying coal on her return voyages. Occasional voyages to the Mediterranean, or with lumber from Canada to the U.K. In June-1936 Leif Thorbjørnsen (Torleif M. Torkildsen's brother-in-law) took over as captain.

Captain (at time of loss): Ole Grande.

Related items on this website:
A Guestbook message from the grandson of 2nd Mate Martin Martinsen (he died in Oct.-1998).
Guestbook message from a relative of Trygve Olafsen (still around in 2006). His brother died when Raceland was sunk - see my page about Convoy PQ 13, as well as this report re. Raceland.
Guestbook message from a relative of 1st Engineer Oscar Julius Næss. His son died when Tabor was sunk the following year.

Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5

Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each (some listings are incomplete).

With a cargo of pulp for Grimsby, Trolla is listed as sailing in Convoy HN 21 from Norway to the U.K. towards the end of March-1940. A. Hague gives her arrival Grimsby as March 28. She left again for Blyth on Apr. 4, arriving Apr. 6, and she was still there when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9 - see Page 1 of the archive documents. Having made some voyages to France, we later find her in Convoy OA 172, leaving Southend on June 21, dispersed June 25. Trolla's destination is given as Belfast, cargo of coal, station 54. This convoy was composed of 2 parts, OA 172(1) and OA 172(2), Trolla being in Part 1, as were the Norwegian Bonde and Vestland, while Evviva was in Part 2. There's a note in connection with this convoy (Part 1) stating that Bonde and Trolla were left behind as they could not maintain 5 knots in the fresh wind and sea. Trolla arrived Belfast Lough on June 25, according to A. Hague, who has also included Fernbank in this convoy - a link to his listing has been provided within the Voyage Record above.

In Aug.-1940 Trolla is listed, along with Eastern Star, Fido, Helle, Regin, Solferino and Vigsnes, in Convoy OA 193, departing Methil on Aug. 3, dispersed Aug. 7. Her destination is not given, but from Page 1, we learn that she arrived Sydney, C.B. on Aug. 18. She headed back to the U.K. on Sept. 2 in the slow Convoy SC 3 from Sydney, C.B., from which the Norwegian Lotos and others were sunk - follow the links for more details. Trolla had a cargo of pit props for Belfast and Immingham on that occasion. She arrived Belfast on Sept. 17, Immingham on Oct. 6, remaining there for almost 3 weeks according to Page 2. The following month, she can be found in Convoy OB 240, originating in Liverpool Nov. 8, dispersed Nov. 13. Berto, Eastern Star, Erica, Evviva, Granfoss, Iron Baron, Regin and Stargard are also named. Again, no destination is given for Trolla (link in table above), but going back to the archive document, we see that she arrived St. John's, N.F. on Nov. 27, having started out from Oban on the 9th. A. Hague says she arrived with weather and engine damage.

On Jan. 2-1941 she joined the slow Convoy SC 18 from Halifax, cargo of pit props for West Hartlepool, where she arrived (via Clyde and Methil Roads) on Febr. 4. In March that year we find her, together with Arosa, Atle Jarl (returned), Bello, Corvus, Frontenac and Thyra, in Convoy OG 55*, which originated in Liverpool on March 7 and arrived Gibraltar March 21. Trolla, however, was not bound for Gibraltar. Her destination is given as Georgetown; according to Page 2, she arrived Demerara on March 31 (having sailed from Oban March 8), later proceeding to Trinidad and from there to Halifax. With a cargo of bauxite for Burntisland, she was scheduled to return to the U.K. with Convoy SC 29 on Apr. 19, but instead joined the next convoy on Apr. 29, SC 30. The Commodore says she had to be sent to Iceland on May 15. Due to large alteration of course ordered, which added 48 hours to the voyage, she had insufficient fuel to reach the U.K. See also the Commodore's narrative/escort's report. She arrived Reykjavik on May 16, leaving again for Burntisland on the 21st, arriving there (via Loch Ewe) on May 30.

In June that same year she's listed, with Brasil, Kos I, Lysaker V, Selbo and Titanian, in Convoy OG 65*, originating in Liverpool June 14-1941, arriving Gibraltar June 28. Trolla's destination is not given, but she arrived Villa Real on June 29, having started out from Oban June 15 (Page 2). According to Arnold Hague, she returned with Convoy HG 67, which left Gibraltar on July 8 and arrived Liverpool July 24; Trolla, cargo of iron ore, stopped at Preston July 23 - see Page 3. This convoy is not available among the HG convoys included in my own Convoys section, but I've linked directly to A. Hague's listing in the table above; Gudvin and Orwell are also named. Trolla later joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 7; her destination is given as Quebec. She arrived Sydney, C.B. on Aug. 30, the convoy having been dispersed on Aug. 25 (Quebec is not mentioned for this time period on the archive document, Trolla proceeded to New York that same day). A. Hague now has her returning to the U.K. in Convoy SC 45, departing Sydney, C.B. on Sept. 18, arriving Liverpool Oct. 4; Trolla stopped at Loch Ewe that day. Again, this convoy is not yet available among the SC convoys included in my own Convoys section, but will be added - see Ships in all SC convoys. Bjerka, Libra (from Iceland), Nea, Orania, Rio Verde, Snar, Solhavn and Varanger are also listed.

Her subsequent voyages are shown on Page 3 and Page 4; convoy info can be found in the Voyage Record.

Skipping now to Apr.-1942, when she's listed in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 86*, which originated in Liverpool on Apr. 14 and also included Bonde, Bur, Drammensfjord, Harpefjell, Maud, Norhauk and Sneland I, with Acanthus, Eglantine, Potentilla and Rose among the escorts - see ON convoy escorts. Trolla had started out in Milford Haven on Apr. 13 and arrived Boston on May 1, continuing to New York that same day (Page 4). With lumber for Garston (via Belfast), she headed back across the Atlantic again on May 14 in Convoy SC 84 from Halifax, arriving her destination on May 30, subsequently joining the westbound Convoy ON 102*, departing Liverpool on June 9, arriving Halifax June 25. Ada, Bernhard, Boreas, Grey County, Inger Elisabeth, Ingerfire, Norse King, Para, Rena, Rio Branco, Solitaire and Vest are also listed. On July 17, she joined Convoy SC 92 from Sydney, C.B., again carrying a cargo of lumber. According to Page 5, she arrived Liverpool, via Belfast Lough, on Aug. 1, proceeding to Garston that same day.

Her return voyage proved to be her last, as will be seen from the next paragraph.

* The OG 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 on the page listing ships in all OG convoys. The ON convoys will also be added, but for now, see ships in all ON convoys.

More details on the other Norwegian ships mentioned here can be found via the alphabet index at the end of this page, or go to the Master Ship Index.

Other ships had already been torpedoed, so all on board had been called out and told to be prepared for attack. She sank by the stern within a minute. 5 died, including the captain, who had been seen running to the radio room, presumably to get the ship's papers. The other 4 on the bridge ran to the port lifeboat as did 6 of the crew and by the time they had all gotten in, the ship had sunk enough that all they had to do was cut the boat loose and float away. 4 men on the poop deck had been thrown overboard, 3 saved themselves on a raft from amidships, and were all picked up by the lifeboat. They rowed around the area in the hopes of finding the missing men, but no one was found.

On 26 August, a Surgeon Lieutenant was transferred from HNoMS Acanthus (K 01) to HNoMS Potentilla (K 214) to take care of four badly injured survivors from Trolla and he reported that they must be in hospital within 36 hours if they were to survive. Unfortunately the corvette had to remain with the convoy until reinforcements arrived nine hours later and then immediately left for St. Johns, arriving on 27 August. The patients were taken to a hospital where the chief engineer died of wounds on 28 August.

For info, the U-boat that sank Trolla was sunk with all hands the following spring - ref. externa link at the end of this page.

* According to this message in my Guestbook, 1st Engineer Oscar Julius Næss was the father of Ordinary Seaman Leif Næss, who died when Tabor was sunk.
The 2 stokers and the 2 deck crew who perished had been down below in their cabins when the explosion occurred.

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

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