M/S Vinland

To Vinland on the "Ships starting with V" page.


Kindly received from Historical Department, MAN B&W Diesel, Copenhagen.
I also received this picture from the launch (size and quality of these pics have been reduced to save space).
Their representative says that their museum (external link) has models of some ships.


From Bjørn Milde's postcard collection.

Captain: Mathias Midbøe, until he died on board while in Halifax on Apr. 4-1942, buried there (see this external page Norwegian War Graves in Nova Scotia - Captain Midbøe is listed). He had previously survived the sinking of Eli Knudsen in 1940.

Misc. War Voyages:

(More will be added).

Vinland, with a general cargo for Falmouth, is listed as being in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 36 in Apr./May-1940, together with a few other Norwegian ships. The following month, we find her in Convoy OA 169, which left Southend on June 17 and was dispersed 2 days later. Her destination is given as Colon, cargo of cement. This convoy was composed of 2 parts, OA 169(1) and OA 169(2), Vinland being in station 13 of Part 1, and was the only Norwegian ship, while Part 2 had several Norwegian vessels (see the external links below).

In Aug.-1941 Vinland (station 66) was in Convoy HX 144 along with the Norwegian Polartank (station 95), Orwell (station 54), Hallanger (station 53), Eidanger (station 83), Havprins (station 82), Grena (station 73), Evanger (station 84), Norse King (station 15), Suderøy (station 63) and Sommerstad (in station 93, all listed on this website - use alphabet index below to find them). In the middle of the following month she joined the westbound Convoy ON 17.

She's also mentioned in Convoy HX 171 in Jan.-1942, again in the company of several other Norwegian ships, but there's a notation on the convoy form that says "She is signalling as she comes along and leaves the convoy and anchors in stream off the Federal Tower" which probably means she did not sail. In fact, she's listed as sailing in the slow Convoy SC 66 which departed Hallifax on Jan. 23-1942 and arrived Liverpool on Febr. 9.

Vinland was used as military transport for the Torch operations which commenced in Nov.-1942.

In July-1943 she can be found in Convoy SC 136 from Halifax, then in Sept. that year she's listed in Convoy SC 142, and in Dec. she sailed in Convoy SC 149.

She's also listed as sailing in Convoy SC 155, which left Halifax on March 14-1944 and arrived Liverpool on the 29th. Vinland's destination on that occasion is given as Iceland. The following month we find her in the Iceland-U.K. Convoy RU 116, together with Marques de Estella. In July-1944, she shows up in Convoy HX 298, general cargo for Liverpool. This convoy originated in New York on July 3, but Vinland joined with the Halifax section a few days later. In Sept. that year she sailed in Convoy HX 309 from New York to the U.K.

POST WAR:

Went to D/S A/S Lisbeth in 1948, sold in Sept.-1954 to Einar M. Gaard A/S & Sigurd Haavik A/S (also Haugesund) and renamed Gardhavn (general tramping and seasonal lumber trade). Sold to Greece in Jan.-1962, Spyridon Xatapodis, Itache and renamed Captain John, under Liberian flag. Went to Geo N. Petrianides, Piræus in 1962. Arrived Bombay on Dec. 3-1962, laid up under arrest. Went to Societa Maritima Aurora S.A., Duisburg/Panama on Dec. 3-1963 and reported broken up in India around the spring of 1965.

Back to Vinland on the "Ships starting with V" page.

Other ships by this name: Norway (O. & A. Irgens) had lost a steamship named Vinland in WW I, built 1906, 1143 gt - sunk by a German U-boat in the Western Atlantic on June 7-1918. Also, there was a Vinland in 1966 (Arne Dybvig, Flekkefjord), originally built as Portia for Svenska Lloyd, Gothenburg in 1955, 493 gt. Vinland became Skaansund of Haugesund in 1969, Nano K of Cyprus in 1972, Palmgirl in 1976. Sold for breaking up in Greece 1979.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Våre motorskip", Leif M. Bjørkelund & E. H. Kongshavn (ref. My sources). Sources for the convoy info can be found on each convoy page.