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M/S Tropic Star To Tropic Star on the "Ships starting with T" page. Manager: Alf Jakhelln, Oslo, Oslo Completed by W. Denny & Bros, Dumbarton, as Yomah for mv Yomah Co Ltd (manager P. Henderson & Co, Glasgow). Sold in 1927 to Australind Steam Shipping Co Ltd (manager Trinder, Anderson & Co. Ltd.), London. Sold in 1937 to Skibs-A/S La Plata (manager Alf Jakelln) and renamed Tropic Star. In 1942 the managing firm of Alf Jakelln A/S was bought by Fearnley & Eger together with Skibs-A/S Varild and Skibs-A/S La Plata (later united in Skibs-A/S Varild) and the ship Tropic Star. (Roger W. Jordan). Captain: G. Andersen.
Tropic Star was on a voyage to Boston when a lifeboat under sail was spotted on Apr. 22-1942, 36 20N 66 20W. It turned out to be from the American S/S Pipestone County, which had been torpedoed the day before. The 10 occupants informed them that there should be another one not too far away, so Tropic Star changed course and found another 13 men. Both boats were taken on board, ready to launch again in case something should happen. On Apr. 24 a periscope was spotted by the lookout (40 50N 68 42W), and now the rescued American seamen came in very useful, in that 5 of them were gunners (Tropic Star did not have trained gunners at the time, though some of the crew had been instructed in the use of the armament). While they fired on this intruder (which quickly submerged) the coast guard was notified, an aircraft was sent out for escort and Tropic Star reached Boston unharmed the following day. Rowher names the U-boat as U-576 (Heinicke), adding in a footnote that the U-boat heard the torpedo hit but it was a dud and did not detonate, and the Tropic Star was not damaged.
Tropic Star was scheduled for the Halifax portion of Convoy HX 219 in Dec.-1942, but instead joined the next convoy, Convoy HX 220, general cargo, bound for Belfast Dock, then Cardiff. In Febr.-1943 we find her in station 61 of the westbound Convoy ON 166, in which the Norwegian Stigstad, Ingria, N. T. Nielsen-Alonso and Glittre were sunk - follow the convoy link, as well as the links to the ships for more details (other Norwegian ships listed in this convoy are Molda, Skandinavia, Tai Shan and Brasil). She's also listed as sailing in Convoy SC 133 from Halifax on June 5-1943, then in Sept. that year she can be found in Convoy SC 141 (having previously been cancelled from the fast convoys HX 252 and HX 253 from New York), and in Dec. she's listed in Convoy SC 148. A couple of months later, at the end of Febr.-1944, she sailed in the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 154. In Oct.-1944 she shows up in Convoy SC 158, general cargo for Liverpool. At the very beginning of Jan.-1945 Tropic Star joined the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 164. Several other Norwegian ships also took part in the convoys mentioned here.
Sold in 1947 to rederi A/B Atlanta, Helsinki, and renamed Anja. In 1952 owner's name changed to Finland-Sydamerika Linjen A/B. Sold in 1961 for breaking up at Valencia, Spain. (R. W. Jordan). Back to Tropic Star on the "Ships starting with T" page. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, and misc. as named within the text above - (ref. My sources).
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