M/T Herbrand
Updated Oct. 17-2011

To Herbrand on the "Ships starting with H" page.


Picture shows Mosvold in 1937. Received from Aage A. Wilhelmsen, Norway.


From Bjørn Milde's postcard collection.
Another picture, showing her as Mosvold, is available on this external page (click in it to make it larger).

Misc. Convoy Voyages:

For information on voyages made in between those mentioned here, please see the documents received from the Norwegian archives and A. Hague's Voyage Record above. Follow the convoy links provided for more details; the Commodore's narrative and/or notes are also available for most of them, and several Norwegian ships took part.

As will be seen when going to Page 1 of the archive documents, Herbrand was in Port Arthur when Norway was invaded by the Germans on Apr. 9-1940. She had arrived there from Beaumont on Apr. 8 and left again for Trinidad on Apr. 11. The same document indicates that she spent quite a long time in New York in 1941, having arrived there from Boston on June 16. Departure is given as Aug. 25, when she headed to Halifax in order to join Convoy HX 148 to the U.K. on Sept. 4, along with the Norwegian Ørnefjell (55), James Hawson (83), Grey County (93), Stigstad (64), Idefjord (35), Egda (54), Vivi (76) and Mirlo (23), as well as the Panamanian Norvinn (Norwegian managers, therefore listed on this website, station 53, between Herbrand and Egda). A. Hague has also included Gefion in this convoy. The following month, Herbrand joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 24*, which originated in Liverpool on Oct. 8 and dispersed on the 15th, Herbrand arriving New York on Oct. 26 (she had started out from Milford Haven on Oct. 7). Having made a voyage to Aruba and Curacao, she headed back to the U.K. in Convoy HX 167 from Halifax on Dec. 27. Abraham Lincoln, Bonneville, Bralanta, Cetus, Meline, Noreg, O. A. Knudsen, Sandanger, Suderøy and Thorshavet are also included. Herbrand arrived Barrow, via Belfast Lough, on Jan. 11-1942. Her voyages in this period are shown on Page 2.

She subsequently joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 59*, departing Liverpool on Jan. 23-1942, dispersed Febr. 6, Herbrand arriving Halifax the next day. On March 27, she's listed among the ships in Convoy HX 182 from Halifax - Acanthus, Eglantine, Kos XX, Potentilla and Rose are named among the escorts for this convoy, which arrived Liverpool on Apr. 9. A week later, we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 87*, which left Liverpool on Apr. 16 and dispersed on the 26th, Herbrand arriving Aruba May 5, proceeding to Freetown 2 days later. From there, she later joined Convoy SL 112, departing on June 4. Herbrand, cargo of diesel oil (1 passenger), station 33, was bound for Glasgow, where she arrived on June 23, proceeding to Bowling that same day, according to Page 2. Other Norwegian ships were Atlantic, Bralanta, Glittre, Norsktank and the Panamanian Vestfold, which had Norwegian managers (see the external link provided within the table above for more on this convoy). A month later, she headed to Halifax, having joined Convoy ON 115*, which originated in Liverpool on July 24 and lost several ships (see link at the end of this page). Herbrand joined from Clyde and arrived her destination on Aug. 6.

She now made another voyage to Curacao, then returned to Halifax, and it looks like she was scheduled for Convoy HX 207 from there on Sept. 13, but instead joined the Halifax portion of Convoy HX 208 on Sept. 20 The Commodore's report is also available for this convoy, which had started out in New York on Sept. 17. Herbrand later went back in the other direction with Convoy ON 141*, originating in Liverpool on Oct. 24 (Herbrand sailed from Clyde that day), arriving New York Nov. 10 (Commodore was in Samuel Bakke). From New York, Herbrand made a voyage to Aruba and Curacao (see Page 3 and Voyage Record), then returned to New York, and according to A. Hague, she subsequently went back to the U.K. with the slow Convoy SC 115*, which left New York on Dec. 27-1942 and arrived Liverpool Jan. 15-1943.

Arnold Hague has also included Herbrand in the westbound Convoy ON 165 in Febr.-1943. It'll be noticed when following the link to my page about this convoy, that she's not mentioned in the original convoy documents (Eglantine and Acanthus are named among the escorts - the Commodore's narrative is also available). From Page 3, we learn that she did leave Mersey for New York on Febr. 2, but only went as far as Belfast Lough - A. Hague adds the comment "After collision". Name of the colliding vessel is not given, but he says another ship in the convoy, the British Lord Cochrane, arrived Clyde following a collision (not included in the original convoy documents). From Belfast Lough, Herbrand later joined Convoy ON 167* on Febr. 14, and arrived New York March 9, remaining there for almost 2 months before heading back to the U.K. on May 1 in Convoy HX 237, in which the Norwegian Sandanger and Brand were sunk - Herbrand's destination is given as Avonmouth, where she arrived, via Belfast Lough, on May 18. Just a few days later, she appears in the westbound Convoy ON 186*, which originated in Liverpool on May 24 and arrived New York June 7 (Herbrand started out from Milfod Haven on May 23), then on June 23, she's listed in Convoy HX 245 from New York, again bound for Avonmouth, station 95, arriving her destination, via Belfast Lough, on July 8.

About a week later, she joined the westbound Convoy ON 193*, which originated in Liverpool on July 16 (Herbrand sailed from Milford Haven July 15) and arrived New York on the 31st. She started her return voyage on Aug. 14 in Convoy HX 252, in which several ships collided in the heavy fog, one of them being the Norwegian Santos, which sank - follow the links for more info. See also the Commodore's narrative, misc. collision reports, and Flag Officer Newfoundland report. Herbrand had station 52 and was bound for Liverpool with Admiralty fuel. She subsequently joined the westbound Convoy ON 200*, departing Liverpool on Sept. 2, arriving New York Sept. 18, returning with Convoy HX 263*, leaving New York on Oct. 24, arriving Liverpool Nov. 8; Herbrand, however, was bound for Scapa Flow, where she arrived, via Loch Ewe, on Nov. 8 (Page 3). A few days later, we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 211*, which originated in Liverpool on Nov. 13 (Herbrand sailed from Clyde that day) and arrived New York on the 29th (Commodore in Elisabeth Bakke). A. Hague now has her in Convoy HX 270* (departure New York Dec. 10, arrival Liverpool Dec. 26; Herbrand stopped at Clyde the day before - Elisabeth Bakke again served as Commodore Vessel)). She subsequently headed back across the Atlantic on Dec. 31 with Convoy ON 218*, and arrived New York on Jan. 18-1944. Eglantine and Rose are named among the escorts - see ON convoy escorts.

She was scheduled for Convoy HX 276 from New York on Jan. 21-1944 (Commodore in Abraham Lincoln), but did not sail, and does not show up again until Convoy HX 279 on Febr. 12 (Emma Bakke served as Vice Commodore Ship). Herbrand's destination is given as Milford Haven and Devonport. In March, she's listed in Convoy ON 228* back to New York, where she arrived on Apr. 1, having sailed from Belfast Lough on March 16 (convoy started out in Liverpool the day before - Commodore was in Laurits Swenson) - see Page 4. She was scheduled for Convoy HX 286 from New York on Apr. 5, but instead joined HX 288 on Apr. 18; Laurits Swenson again served as Commodore Vessel, while Emma Bakke was Vice Commodore Ship. Herbrand arrived Scapa Flow (via Loch Ewe) on May 6, and later that month she joined Convoy ON 237* to New York, with arrival June 3 (convoy originated in Liverpool on May 19, Herbrand joined from Clyde - Commodore in Brimanger, Laurits Swenson was Vice Commodore). On June 10, she's listed in Convoy HX 295, for which Elisabeth Bakke acted as Commodore Ship, and in July, we find her in Convoy ON 244*, which originated in Liverpool on July 10 and arrived New York on the 23rd; Herbrand joined from Belfast Lough. Already on July 25, she can be found in Convoy HX 301 from New York to the U.K., for which Reinholt served as Commodore Ship, and Samuel Bakke was the Vice Commodore's ship.

Herbrand now joined Convoy JW 59 from Loch Ewe to Murmansk on Aug. 15, serving as escort oiler (as can be seen in the above Voyage Record, she had often served as Escort Oiler in the Trans-Atlantic convoys as well). This convoy consisted of 34 merchant ships, and a very large escort. The German U-boats tried without success to break through the escort and the entire convoy reached its destination on Aug. 25 without any merchant ships lost, though the escort sloop Kite had been hit by 2 torpedoes from U-344 and quickly sank on Aug. 21, only 9 were rescued. The U-boat was sunk the next day, then on Aug. 24, U-354 was sunk. Herbrand joined the 9 ship Convoy RA 59A at Kola on Aug. 28 for her return voyage, arriving Loch Ewe on Sept. 5 with no losses (U-394 had been sunk on Sept. 2).

Several more convoys made the voyage in the following weeks, without serious losses, except for the sinking of the American Edward H. Crockett and the British Samsuva on Sept. 29 (Convoy RA 60, in which the Norwegian M/T Noreg was one of the escort oilers). A little over a month later, on Nov. 6-1944 the first Norwegian forces sent to help the Russians free Finnmark arrived Murmansk (Convoy JW 61A*), continuing with a Russian transport to Liinahamari, and from there by cars to Kirkenes. Head Quarters were established at Kirkenes on Nov. 11. By that time 32 British bombers had sunk the battle ship Tirpitz, thereby reducing the threat to the Murmansk convoys considerably. The first Norwegian ship to land in Finnmark with supplies to the civilians was D/S Idefjord, arriving to a "scorched earth", the retreating Germans having burnt everything in their wake, more on this under "Related links" at the end of this page.

*This was rather an unusual convoy as it consisted of just 2 large personnel ships with a very strong escort departing Liverpool on Oct. 31 (available at this external website). The ships were the British Empress of Australia and Scythia, and their purpose to transport 11 000 Russian nationals who had been captured in Normandy while serving on the German side. It's believed that they were forces made up of the Germans' prisoners of war to fight Communism. There's no information on what happened to these people once they reached Russian land. The Norwegian troops mentioned above were not on board these vessels, they were embarked on the escort cruiser Berwick. Another party of Norwegian troops arrived at the same time as the convoy aboard the destroyers Savage and Scorpion (Operation Freeman).

After her voyage to and from Russia, Herbrand went back to the U.S. with Convoy ON 255* (Commodore in Brimanger), which originated in Liverpool on Sept. 22 (Herbrand joined from Clyde) and arrived New York Oct. 9, and on Oct. 15, we find her in the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 314 (Commodore in Emma Bakke). Her destination is given as Clyde, where she arrived on Oct. 29, and where she (according to A. Hague) remained until June 2-1945. See also Page 4 and Page 5 of the archive documents. Towards the end of my text for D/S Favør there's mention of an explosion that occurred on Herbrand in 1945; I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere else and have no further details, but perhaps this was the reason for her long stay at Clyde(?).

POST WAR:

Sold to Denmark. Sold again in September 1959 by Rederi A/S Dantank, Copenhagen, to British Iron & Steel Corporation, London, and allocated to Smith & Houston Ltd. for scrapping. Arrived at Port Glasgow on Oct. 21-1959 to be broken up. (Note that the Post War details on this external page are a little different).

Related external links:
Ships sunk in Convoy ON 115

The Soviet Advance into Norway - Includes a picture of the Norwegian soldiers en route to Murmansk on board Berwick.

Norway's liberation

Russian Convoys 1941-1945 - from Naval History Homepage

The History of Bismarck & Tirpitz

Back to Herbrand on the "Ships starting with H" page.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Convoys to Russia" Bob Ruegg & Arnold Hague, E-mail from R.W. Jordan and misc. (ref. My sources).