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D/S Varangberg To Varangberg on the "Ships starting with V" page. Owner: A/S Malmfart. Built by Great Lakes Engineering Works, Ohio 1915. Previous names: Morris Adler until 1916, Jotunfjell until 1934 for Olsen & Ugelstad, Oslo (lengthened 1934), Varangfjell until 1939 (same managers), then sold to Reinh. Mithassel, Oslo and renamed Varangberg. Captain: Edward Steen Stenersen.
Varangberg is listed in the U.K.-Norway Convoy ON 16 at the end of Febr.-1940. At the end of March, shortly before the German invasion of Norway, we find her in Convoy HN 22 from Norway to the U.K., bound for Middlesbrough with ore. Towards the end of May-1940, she was briefly in Convoy OA 156, which left Southend on May 27 and was dispersed 3 days later. She was bound for Nantes at the time. The Norwegian Akershus and Inger Lise are also listed. (See the external links below). A French visitor to my site has told me that a ship named Varangfjell sailed from Le Verdon on June 17-1940 in convoy 65-X under French escort. At Casablanca June 23. Varangfjell had been renamed Varangberg by then(?), but as far as I can see it's the same ship? Early the following month we find her in Convoy HG 37, which left Gibraltar on July 7-1940 and arrived Liverpool on the 16th. Her destination is given as Garston, and she had a cargo of phosphates. The Norwegian Eikhaug and Spes are also listed in this convoy. In Sept. that same year she's listed in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 5, cargo of phosphates for Hull, and a couple of months later she's mentioned in Convoy OB 249, leaving Liverpool on Nov. 24-1940. Her destination is given as Freetown. However, she may not have sailed, because she shows up again as cancelled from Convoy OB 251 on Nov. 28, and is also listed in OB 253, which left on Dec. 2. The Norwegian Stiklestad is also listed. Again, see the external link below for the names of other ships taking part, several of which were Norwegian. On Dec. 20-1940 she reported being attacked by a U-boat in position 55 30N 19 25W. I've been told (by Rainer Kolbicz, Uboat.net) that the attacker was U-95 (Schreiber). 2 torpedoes missed at 14:53 and 14:57, and Schreiber decided not to attack again because the second attack had been noticed aboard the ship and rough seas prevented the use of the deck gun. Varangberg narrowly escaped Admiral Hipper's attack on Convoy SLS 64, which had left Freetown on Jan. 30-1941. (Hipper had been notified of Convoy HG 53 and given orders to attack it, so that when SLS 64 appeared it was assumed this was the reported convoy). My page about Borgestad gives details of the ensuing battle. Varangberg eventually reached Gibraltar unharmed on Febr. 17 and later proceeded to the U.K. with Convoy HG 54. In May that same year she was 1 of several Norwegian ships in Convoy HG 63. Her destination on that occasion is given as Ardrossan, cargo of pyrites, station 32 (right next to the Norwegian Fanefjeld). Related external links: OA & OB convoys - Listed in chronological order.
Varangberg, with a cargo of 4100 tons iron ore, bound for Belfast and Cardiff, was in Convoy HG 73 which suffered great losses at the end of Sept.-1941. This convoy departed Gibraltar on Sept. 17, estimated to arrive Liverpool on Oct. 1. It was initially shadowed by Italian submarines, though without causing any harm, but was later located by German aircraft, which then notified the U-boats nearby. Varangberg was torpedoed and sunk at about 11:20 pm on Sept. 25-1941 by U-203 (Mützelburg), position 47 50N 24 50W. One torpedo hit on the port side near No. 1 hatch, then half a minute later another hit forward of the bridge on the same side, and she went straight down, leaving no time to launch lifeboats. The 3rd mate, who had been pulled under by the suction, was in the water for an hour before getting onto a raft with the help of Ordinary Seaman Jonassen who was already on the raft. The chief engineer was also pulled under, and when he came to the surface he heard the captain crying out from pain, floating alongside a chart house top. The chief engineer swam over to him and helped him get onto it, but the chart house could not hold them both so the chief engineer managed to get on a raft, exhausted and bleeding from his mouth. When he was found by a British corvette he was so exhausted he was barely able to move, so they had to come down to him and carry him up. The 3rd engineer was asleep when the torpedo hit and like the others he had to jump overboard, then was able to get on a raft with Steward Bordvik and Stoker Jensen. The attacks kept coming, keeping the escorts too busy to come to the aid of the survivors, and the 6 on the rafts from Varangberg were not picked up till early the next morning. The ordinary seaman was admitted to a hospital on arrival Milford Haven. The maritime hearings were held in Cardiff on Oct. 7-1941 with 3rd Mate Johan Parelius, Chief Engineer Hans O. Hansen, 3rd Engineer Birger J. Hansen and Ordinary Seaman John A. Jonassen appearing (the latter had been at the helm). The convoy lost a total of 10 ships, among them the Norwegian Siremalm. Details on the other ships sunk can be found on my page about this convoy.
Crew List:
21 casualties and 6 survivors are listed below, but I'm wondering if there's a name missing because according to the 3rd mate's report, she had a crew(?) of 28 upon departure Gibraltar. When adding the passenger from Spind, the numbers still don't add up.
Related external links: HG - 73, 19th to 28th September 1941 Historical Collections of the Great Lakes has a picture of the ship when Morris Adler (while building). Type "Varangberg" in the field for 'vessel', then on the page that comes up, click in the little box with the item number. The next page has technical details on the ship and a picture thumbnail - clicking on the thumbnail will bring up the photo. It also lists all her owners until lost, and has info on her fate. Typing 'Norway" in the search field for 'Registry' will bring up other Norwegian vessels listed on the site. Back to Varangberg on the "Ships starting with V" page. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume II (Norwegian Maritime Museum), and misc. others for cross checking details - (ref. My sources).
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