D/S Troubadour
Updated Oct. 17-2012

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

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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 convoy links provided for more information; the Commodore's notes are also available for some of them, and several Norwegian ships took part.

Troubadour crossed the Atlantic 48 times, and also had some voyages to the Mediterranean, as will be seen in this narrative. When war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940, she was in New York, later proceeding to Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Rio Grande and Buenos Aires - see Page 1 (it'll be noticed that she subsequently appears to have spent 3 weeks in Rosario).

In July-1940, she had made a voyage to Montreal, then headed to Halifax, where she joined Convoy HX 61 on July 27, bound for Belfast with a cargo of grain and lumber, station 94 (she had been cancelled from the previous convoy, HX 60). Her arrival Belfast is not given on the archive document, but she left Belfast Lough again on Aug. 27 in order to go back to Montreal, where she arrived Sept. 8; no convoy information is available for this voyage; according to A. Hague, she had sailed independently. She returned to Belfast again later that month in the Sydney, C.B. portion of the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 75 and arrived Belfast on Oct. 7, later proceeding to Glasgow (Page 1). On Oct. 23, she headed back to Montreal, arriving Nov. 3. Her last Trans-Atlantic voyage that year was made in the Sydney, C.B. portion of Convoy HX 89 - the Commodore says that the "Norwegian Troubadour was excellent both at signalling and station keeping and so good example to all other ships". Her destination is given as Glasgow, where she arrived Dec. 2, having sailed from Sydney, C.B. on Nov. 18.

Early in 1941 we find her, together with Lisbeth and Skiensfjord, in Convoy OB 271, which originated in Liverpool on Jan. 8 and dispersed on the 12th - ref. link provided within the Voyage Record above. Her destination is not given, but from Page 1, we learn that she arrived Portland, Maine on Jan. 22, having sailed from Milford Haven on Jan. 8. With destination Belfast, she headed back across the Atlantic again on Febr. 23 in Convoy HX 111 from Halifax, again getting positive remarks from the Commodore (according to notes in the Advance Sailing Telegram for this convoy she had initially been scheduled for Convoy HX 110 on Febr. 19). Troubadour arrived her destination on March 12, proceeding to Glasgow on March 20 - see Page 2. She subsequently joined Convoy OB 303, which originated in Liverpool March 28 and dispersed Apr. 3 - link in the table above; Benwood, Evviva, Facto and Leikanger are also named. Again, no destination is given for Troubadour, but she arrived St. John, N.B. on Apr. 11, having started out from Clyde March 28.

She now remained at St. John until Apr. 29 when she sailed to Halifax, arriving Apr. 30 and was scheduled for Convoy HX 124 that same day, but instead joined Convoy HX 125(A) on May 6 (she may have arrived Halifax too late to join the previous convoy?). Cruising order/Commodore's notes are also available. Troubadour had a cargo of grain and general for Belfast, sailing in station 93, arriving her destination on May 22, later proceeding to Glasgow (Page 2). She now appears in Convoy OB 331, originating in Liverpool June 8, dispersed on the 19th; Troubadour started out from Clyde June 8 and arrived Montreal June 23. A. Hague has also included Barbro, Elg, Hardanger, Havsten, Hellen, Ida Knudsen, Solfonn, Torfinn Jarl and Vivi in this convoy, which is also available via the external link provided in the table above.

According to Arnold Hague, she served as the Vice Commodore's ship for Convoy HX 145 in Aug.-1941, joining from Sydney, C.B. Kos IX and Kos VIII are named among the escorts. Troubadour, cargo of grain, arrived Belfast on Aug. 30, later proceeding to Eastham, Liverpool and Manchester, with arrival the latter on Sept. 5 (Page 2). She subsequently joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 17, and arrived Hampton Roads on Oct. 5 (the convoy having been dispersed on Sept. 29). With a general cargo and 6 passengers, she headed back to the U.K. on Oct. 22 in Convoy HX 156 from Halifax, for which Eglantine and Montbretia served as escorts for a while. Having stopped at Belfast Lough on Nov. 4, Troubadour continued to Liverpool, Eastham and Manchester again. Together with Atlantic, Fjordaas, Geisha, Hada County, Marit II, O. A. Knudsen, Sandanger, Skaraas and Stiklestad, she then returned across the Atlantic with Convoy ON 38*, which left Liverpool on Nov. 19 and dispersed on the 30th, Troubadour arriving St. John, N.B. on Dec. 7, remaining there for about a month, before proceeding to Halifax on Jan. 5-1942 in order to join a convoy back to the U.K.

On Jan. 8-1942, she can be found among the ships in Convoy HX 169 from Halifax. A. Hague says she became a straggler on Jan. 15. She stopped at Belfast Lough on Jan. 22, continuing to Liverpool the next day, remaining there for about 2 weeks before heading back to St. John, N.B. in Convoy ON 65*, leaving Liverpool on Febr. 8, dispersed on the 19th, Troubadour arriving her destination on Febr. 24 (Page 2). She had again been in the company of several other Norwegian ships, namely Arthur W. Sewall, Bralanta, Cetus, Egda, G. C. Brøvig, Hardanger, Kaldfonn, Kollbjørg, Mirlo, N. T. Nielsen Alonso, Nueva Granada, Stiklestad, Tankexpress and Vav. Not long thereafter, she went back in the other direction in Convoy HX 179, departing Halifax on March 9, and with Dagrun, Harpefjell (returned), Idefjord and Skiensfjord, she later joined the westbound Convoy ON 85*, which originated in Liverpool on Apr. 10. Her destination is given as Halifax on that occasion, and she arrived there on Apr. 22, having sailed from Belfast Lough on Apr. 11 - her voyages in this period are shown on Page 3.

There's also a Troubadour listed as Panamanian in my documents for Convoy HX 189 from Halifax on May 10, but this must have been the Norwegian Troubadour (the info fits in with the details found on the archive document - the Panamanian ship, which should be spelt Troubador, had sailed in Convoy SC 79, departing Halifax on Apr. 11). The archive document gives her arrival Liverpool as May 22, where she stayed for about 3 weeks, before joining the westbound Convoy ON 103* (left Liverpool June 12), along with Ferncourt, Frontenac, Garnes, Idefjord, Kaia Knudsen, Kong Haakon VII (Commodore Vessel), Lista, Maud, Mirlo, Noreg, Scebeli, Sommerstad, Thorshøvdi and Tijuca, as well as the Panamanian Norvinn (Norwegian managers). She arrived Halifax on June 24 and, having made a voyage to Sydney, C.B., Father Point and Montreal, she returned to Halifax in order to join Convoy HX 199 on July 19, arriving Liverpool July 30, again remaining for 3 weeks - see Page 3. It'll be noticed, that she also spent a long time in Avonmouth, where she had arrived from Liverpool on Aug. 23. Departure is given as Oct. 8/9, when she proceeded to Newport, spending a long time there as well. Troubadour took part in Operation Torch as military transport, perhaps she had been fitted out for this purpose at one or all of these ports?

In Nov.-1942, she was on a voyage from the U.K. in a convoy which, after having passed Gibraltar, was attacked twice by German aircraft on Nov. 20 and several ships were hit, but Troubador made it safely to Algiers on Nov. 24. The Norwegian Kong Sverre was credited with hitting one of the planes, which crashed in the sea behind them. Examining all the information available to me, I came to the conlusion that this must have been Convoy KMS 3*, in which Prins Harald and the British Grangepark were sunk by U-263 on Nov. 20 (convoy left Liverpool on Nov. 7-1942; Troubadour sailed from Clyde Nov. 8/9). Many details in J. R. Hegland's "Nortraships flåte" account of the aircraft attack on Kong Sverre on that day lead me to this conclusion. Among other things, Hegland mentions that 3 ships on the starboard side of the convoy were hit, one ship started to burn (Prins Harald?), the other's after part broke off, while a third received a torpedo in the net defences, where it exploded. Eye witnesses on board Troubadour had a hard time determining whether the torpedoes came from an aircraft or a U-boat, but the details fit in with a footnote in J. Rohwer's book stating "two ships were seen sinking and one burning. One torpedo (from U-263) exploded in the net defences of Ocean Pilgrim." (The British Trentpark was sunk by aircraft while in KMS 3 on Nov. 24). As can be seen, Troubadour's presence in this convoy has now been confirmed by A. Hague's Voyage Record above, and he has indeed also included Kong Sverre and Prins Harald. Troubadour returned to the U.K. the following month with Convoy MKS 3X, joining from Algiers - she left Dec. 6 and arrived Clyde Dec. 18.

In Jan.-1943 she's listed, with Ferncliff and Kong Sverre, in Convoy KMS 8*, departing Clyde on Jan 21. Troubadour was bound Oran - according to Page 3, she stopped at Gibraltar Febr. 6. Later that month, she's said to have made a voyage from Algiers to Oran with Convoy MKS 8 (it'll be noticed that this voyage is not noted on the archive document), and in March, we find her in Convoy MKS 9. She had sailed from Gibraltar on March 8 and arrived Belfast on the 18th. From Belfast, she now joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 174*. Fagerfjell, Norbryn, Nueva Granada and Trondheim are also listed in this convoy, which originated in Liverpool on March 20 and arrived New York on Apr. 8; Troubadour, however, stopped at Halifax Apr. 5, continuing to St. John, N.B. a few days later, remaining there until May 6 (Page 4), when she returned to Halifax in order to join the Halifax portion of Convoy HX 238 on May 9. This convoy had originated in New York on May 7. Troubadour was bound for London with general cargo; according to A. Hague, she also had 4 passengers on board. Note that she's mentioned under May 21 in the Commodore's narrative.

In the middle of the following month, we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 189*, originating in Liverpool on June 16, arriving New York on July 1; Troubadour stopped at Halifax; date is difficult to read on the archive document, but it looks like June 28 (she had joined the convoy from Loch Ewe). Gallia, Glarona, Kong Sverre, Roald Amundsen, Solsten and Solør are also listed, while Acanthus, Potentilla and Rose are named among the escorts (see ON convoy escorts). Troubadour subsequently had another long stay at St. John, N.B. before returning to Halifax, and from there she headed back to the U.K. in Convoy HX 249 on July 25 (originated in New York, July 23-1943). Troubadour had a general cargo for Liverpool, station 23, arriving Liverpool Aug. 6.

She left Liverpool again on Aug. 28-1943, joining Convoy OS 54/KMS 25* (along with Gudrun, Norefjord, Rutenfjell and Sirehei), voyaging from Liverpool to Freetown, Durban and Mauritius with general cargo in station 113 of the convoy, which split up on Sept. 8, the KMS portion arriving Gibraltar Sept. 10, while the OS section (including Troubadour) continued to Freetown, where it arrived Sept. 17. Again, go to Page 4 for a listing of her voyages in this period - see also the Voyage Record above.

With a cargo of sugar, graphite and rum for London, she returned in Jan.-1944 in Convoy SL 146/MKS 37, together with the Norwegian Boreas, Norfalk and Tiradentes. She had started out from Port Said on Jan. 10 in the MKS convoy, which joined up with the SL convoy (from Freetown) off Gibraltar on Jan. 23, before proceeding to the U.K. as a combined convoy, arriving Liverpool Febr. 2 - Troubadour stopped at Loch Ewe, later arriving Gravesend on Febr. 8, remaining there for several weeks (Page 5). In March that same year, we find her going in the other direction again in Convoy OS 72/KMS 46*, on a voyage Oban-Mombasa with general cargo in station 43. The convoy originated in Liverpool on March 23, split up on Apr. 5, the KMS portion arriving Gibraltar the next day, while the OS portion continued to Freetown, with arrival there Apr. 14. Bosphorus (Commodore Vessel), Mathilda and Tore Jarl are also listed. Troubadour (KMS portion) arrived Mombasa (via Port Said, Suez and Aden) on May 1, having started out from Oban March 24.

Her subsequent voyages are shown on Page 5, with convoy info for some of them in the table above. In July that year she's listed, along with Meline and Vito, in Convoy MKS 56* from Port Said (5 passengers), which joined up with SL 165 from Freetown on July 30, continuing to the U.K. as the combined Convoy SL 165/MKS 56, in which Troubadour had station 91 - general cargo. Gabon is also included in the combined convoy, which arrived Liverpool on Aug. 10 (Tunsberg Castle is named among the escorts) - please see the links provided in the Voyage Record.

Following another long stay in Liverpool, she joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 252*, together with Atlantic, Dageid, Fernmoor, Geisha (Commodore Vessel), Kaldfonn, Petter, Skotaas, Spinanger and Vardefjell. Acanthus, Rose and Tunsberg Castle are named among the escorts, as is Buttercup, which was transferred to the Norwegian flag following the loss of Tunsberg Castle later that year. See ON convoy escorts (convoy left Liverpool Sept. 7, arrived New York on the 22nd). Troubadour was scheduled to return to the U.K. in Convoy HX 312 from New York on Oct. 5, but instead joined the next convoy on Oct. 10, HX 313, serving as Commodore Vessel (Commodore F. H. Taylor R.N.). Her destination is given as Barry Dock, general cargo - according to Page 5, she arrived Barry on Oct. 26, proceeding to Swansea on Nov. 6. Later that month, she made a voyage from Milford to Alexandria in station 22 of Convoy OS 96/KMS 70 (this convoy started out in Liverpool on Nov. 23-1944, see the external link in the Voyage Record above; Alaska and Bestik are also included - Troubadour was in the KMS portion*). She arrived Alexandria on Dec. 7, having sailed from Milford Haven on Nov. 24. From Alexandria, she proceeded to Haifa that same day - again, see the archive document.

Troubadour had returned to the U.K. in Jan.-1945 (Page 5), and the following month, she's listed in Convoy OS 110/KMS 84*, which left Liverpool on Febr. 11, voyage in ballast Clyde-Valparaiso via Panama, station 73 - see link in the table above. There's a note saying she completed her voyage in Convoy ON 286* (originated in Liverpool on Febr. 21), however, it looks like this designation is a misprint; she's not listed in this convoy but in ON 284*, which had left Southend on Febr. 10 and arrived New York on March 1. According to A. Hague, Troubadour joined up with this convoy on Febr. 12 and arrived Cristobal on March 3, having detached from the convoy on Febr. 19. Abraham Lincoln (Commodore Vessel), Fernwood, Noreg, Norsol, Sverre Helmersen, Toronto and Velma are also named. Her subsequent voyages are shown on Page 6. A. Hague has her returning to the U.K. in Convoy HX 352*, which left New York on Apr. 23 and arrived Liverpool on VE Day, May 8 and also included Anna Knudsen, Havkong, Havprins, Høegh Hood, Ivaran and Pan Scandia. (Page 6 shows her voyages to Apr.-1946).

* 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. See also ships in all KMS convoys and ships in all MKS convoys. These will also be added to individual pages in my Convoys section. Additionally, the entire HX series will be updated and completed (including the already existing convoys - some have already been updated), but for now, please go to ships in all HX convoys.

More details on the other Norwegian ships mentioned here are available via the alphabet index below, or go to the Master Ship Index.

POST WAR:

Sold on Jan. 19-1953 to A/S Lab and D/S A/S Danto (H. Tanvald-Pedersen), Porsgrunn and renamed Tangholm. Sold again in 1956 to Kam Kee Navigation Co. Ltd., Hong Kong. Renamed Shun Fat in 1958. Arrived Hong Kong on Oct. 24-1960 to be scrapped by Shiu Wing Co. Ltd. Demolition commenced on Jan. 25-1961.

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

Other ships by this name: Wilh. Wilhelmsen later had another ship by this name, 1954-1971. There was a Panamanian Troubador during the war (spelt a little differently, often mis-spelt Troubadour). This ship had a Norwegian captain, and survived the battle of Convoy PQ 17.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, Wilh. Wilhelmsen fleet list, and misc. as named within above text - (ref. My sources).