D/S Vespasian
Updated Jan. 21-2010
To Vespasian on the "Ships starting with V" page.
Crew List
Owner: Rederi A/S Vespasian
Manager: Hilmar Reksten, Bergen
Tonnage: 1570 gt, 2425 tdwt
Signal Letters: LFFT
Built by Porsgrund Mek. Verksted, Porsgrunn, Norway in 1935. Previous name: Betta until 1940 (Dagfinn Henriksen and Haakon Kierulf, Oslo).
Captain: Peder Johnsen
Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Page 1 | Page 2
Please compare the above voyages with Arnold Hague's Voyage Record below.
Voyage Record
From Jan.-1940 to Jan.-1941:
|
(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database).
Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each.
Errors may exist, and several voyages are missing.
| 1940 |
Jan. 19 |
Norwegian Waters |
Methil |
Jan. 22 |
HN 8 |
– |
| |
Febr. 20 |
Tyne |
Southend |
Febr. 22 |
FS 101 |
Convoy available at FS convoys
(external link) |
| |
March 26 |
Tyne |
Methil |
March 26 |
TM 33 |
Convoy available at TM 33
(external link)
See also Page 1 |
| |
Apr. 7 |
Tyne |
Southend |
Apr. 9 |
FS 140 |
Convoy available at FS convoys
(external link)
Missing voyages, Page 1 above |
| |
May 23 |
Tyne |
Southend |
May 25 |
FS 178 |
Convoy available at link above
Compare w/Page 1 (also, missing voyages) |
| ? |
June 16 |
Methil |
Tyne |
June 16 |
MT 89 |
Convoy available at MT 89
(external link)
Compare w/Page 1 (also, missing voyages) |
| |
Aug. 15 |
Sydney, C.B. |
Liverpool* |
Aug. 29* |
SC 1 |
*Arr. Clyde Aug. 30
(see Page 1. Also, more missing voyages) |
| |
Oct. 15 |
Sydney, C.B. |
Liverpool* |
Oct. 31* |
SC 8 |
*Arr. Clyde Nov. 1 |
| |
Nov. 8 |
Clyde |
Methil |
Nov. 13 |
WN 35 |
Convoy available at WN convoys
(external link) |
| |
Nov. 17 |
Methil |
Middlesbrough* |
Nov. 19 |
FS 337 |
*Arr. W. Hartlepool Nov. 18.
Convoy available at FS convoys
(external link) |
| 1941 |
Jan. 11 |
Methil |
Oban |
Jan. 14 |
EN 55/1 |
Convoy available at EN convoys
(external link) |
| |
Jan. 21 |
Oban |
– |
– |
OB 276 |
Convoy available at OB 276
(external link) |
Vespasian is listed in Convoy HN 8 from Norway to the U.K. in Jan.-1940, together with several other Norwegian ships.
When war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940 she was at The Downs, departing that same day for Rouen, where she arrived Apr. 10. Another voyage was made to Rouen early in May, and later that month she travelled to Nantes - see Page 1 of the archive documents.
From the same document, we learn that she made a voyage from the U.K. to Sydney, C.B. in July that year. I have no convoy information for this voyage, had she sailed independently? Having made a voyage to Chatham, N.B. and back to Sydney, C.B., she headed back across the Atlantic again on Aug. 15 in the slow Convoy SC 1, in which the Norwegian Eva was sunk. Vespasian had a cargo of pit props for Manchester, where she arrived, via various other ports, on Sept. 11. She now returned to Sydney, C.B., with arrival there on Sept. 29 (again, I have no convoy details for this voyage), and the following month we find her in Convoy SC 8, cargo of pit props for West Hartlepool.
A French visitor to my website has told me that she's still listed as Betta on Nov. 25-1940, at which time she sailed in a convoy from Dakar (at Casablanca on Dec. 5. Sailed from Casablanca on Dec. 14-1940 in convoy. At Oran on Dec. 17), however, this must be a mix up with another ship, possibly the Danish Betta? This ship was requisitioned at Dakar by the Vichy French in June 1940 and renamed Saint Albert, then seized by the Germans at Marseilles in Nov.-1942. Wrecked in a storm at Valencia harbour in Febr.-1943 (broken up in 1946). There also seems to be some confusion over this ship in J. Rohwer's book. He says Vespasian was the ex Danish Betta, but the Danish Betta (ex Betty) was built in 1931, so again, this appears to be a mix up on his part.
Vespasian departed Oban on Jan. 21-1941 in ballast for Mackenzie, British Guiana, joining Convoy OB 276, which had originated in Liverpool on Jan. 20 (the Norwegian Helle is also listed), but she lost the convoy in bad weather on Jan. 23 and was never heard from again. Believed to have been torpedoed and sunk on Jan. 24 by U-123 (Moehle) in approx. 55N 15W. All 18 died. (Some sources claim she was sunk by aircraft).
U-123 was also responsible for the attack on Pan Norway a year later (but with a different commander). See also Norness.
Crew List - No survivors:
|
Casualties
|
|
†
Captain
Peder Johnsen
|
†
1st Mate
Theodor Bengtson
|
†
2nd Mate
Olaf J. Olsen
|
†
Able Seaman
Arthur M. Stelander
|
†
Able Seaman
Nils Ingolf Lode
|
†
Ordinary Seaman
Bjarne Wiste
|
|
†
Ordinary Seaman
Torbjørn Olsen
|
†
Ordinary Seaman
Albert Nilsen
|
†
Ordinary Seaman
John M. Andersen
(Andreasen?)
|
†
1st Engineer
Harry Oldrul
|
†
2nd Engineer
Dorhald Berg
|
†
Donkeyman
Olai Hagenes
|
|
†
Stoker
Karsten Hansen
|
†
Stoker
Thorvald Wickstrøm
|
†
Stoker
Joacim Hansen
|
†
Steward
Ingolf H. K.
Leikanger
|
†
Cook
Juul Holm
|
†
Mess Boy
Harry Larsen
|
Related external links:
Stavern commemorations - 19 are commemorated at this memorial for seamen in Stavern, Norway - this could either mean that Vespasian had lost a crew member earlier, or she had a complement of 19 when lost. In fact, there are 2 names listed at the memorial that do not appear above, namely Donkeyman Karl Olai Huun and Stoker Karsten Torp - however, the latter might be identical to Karsten Hansen (his full name may have been Karsten Hansen Torp), Also, the engineer's name is given as Harry Olrup Jacobsen, and some of the other names are also spelt a little differently.
Operations information for U-123
U-123 | Karl-Heinz Moehle
Back to Vespasian on the "Ships starting with V" page.
The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "The World's Merchant Fleets 1939", R. W. Jordan, "Axis Submarine Success of World War Two", Jürgen Rohwer, "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume II, Norwegian Maritime Museum - (ref. My sources).
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