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Name of Ship
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Managed By
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Tonnage
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Thoralf Holta, Porsgrunn (until 1939)
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4138 gt
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| Built in Malmö, Sweden 1926. Previous name: Childar until 1935.
Pre war: Delivered from Kockums mek. Verkstad A/B, Malmö (148) in Febr.-1926 as Childar to Wiel & Amundsens Rederi A/S (Wiel & Amundsen), Halden, 4138 gt, 2336 net, 7780 tdwt, 377.6' x 54' x 22.9', 6 cyl. 4t single acting Compound (yard), 2000 bhp. Childar was involved in a dramatic rescue at sea in 1934 when she ran aground on the Columbia River bar off Washington State on May 7-1934, 4 died. Towed to Vancouver and initially condemned, but sold and repaired, reentering service as Aakre for Rederi-A/S Henneseid (Thoralf Holta), Porsgrunn in May-1935.
SOLD IN 1939 to Apvienota Kugniecibas Akciju Sabiedriba, Riga, Latvia and renamed Hercogs Jekabs. Seized in 1942 by USSR and renamed Sovietskaya Latvia.
Picture of Childar - Aakre's previous name
Picture of Aakre - Received from Bjørn Milde, Norway (from his own postcard collection).
Picture of Sovietskaya Latvia - Aakre's later name. Picture 1 & 3 were sent to me by a visitor to my site, Marty Bollinger.
Here's what he says:
"I am preparing a book ("Stalin's Slave Ships") on the ships used by the NKVD (KGB) to move prisoners to the Kolyma Gulag, which was accessible only by sea. Sovietskaya Latvia was one of the five ships in the NKVD fleet. The others were three Dutch ships: Dalstroi (ex-Almelo), Dzhurma (ex-Brielle) and Kulu (ex-Batoe) and one British ship: Felix Dzerzhinsky (ex-Dominia). Other ships were used from time to time as well. No other Norwegian ships were involved, to the best of my knowledge. The trips were pretty horrific and many died. It turns out the ships were also maintained free of charge by the US during World War II, at the midpoint of their Gulag careers.
In 1943, a disgruntled crewman tried to blow up the ship Magadan while in Vancouver. His plan was intercepted by Soviet intelligence agents in the US. We know about this because the message sent back to Moscow about the incident was intercepted by US intelligence officials as part of the Venona project".
Sovietskaya Latvia was deleted from register in 1967.
Marty sent me the above pictures and mail in 2001. I've since run a quick search for his book "Stalin's Slave Ships", and found it available from amazon.com and several other places.
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Fred Olsen & Co., Oslo
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5740 gt
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| Built in Odense, Denmark, delivered in 1929.
My page M/S Abraham Lincoln has a picture and more information on this ship (including Voyage Record).
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Sigurd Bruusgaard, Drammen
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5002 gt
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| Built in Flensburg, Germany, delivered 1938.
My page M/S Acadia has some information on her war voyages.
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Corvette
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900 925? displ. t.
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| Built Troon, Scotland 1941.
Find out more about this corvette.
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Martin Mosvold, Farsund
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5229 gt
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| Built in Sunderland 1918. Previous names: War Matron until 1921.
Please continue to D/T Acasta for information on her war voyages (and a picture).
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Finn Røgenæs, Haugesund
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2456 gt
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| Built in Greenock 1921.
Please continue to D/S Ada (includes Voyage Record).
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Einar Saanum, Mandal
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1311 gt
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| Built in Papendrecht, Netherlands 1919. Previous names: Ostzee until 1923, Herbert Siemers until 1925, Per Gynt until 1930, September, Solør.
A separate page about D/S Agnes has her WW II Voyage Record.
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H. Hannevig, Horten
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1524 gt
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| Built in Porsgrund, Norway, delivered in 1929. Previous name: Ørnefjell until 1937.
Sunk by aircraft on Jan. 7-1943. Read more about her loss, incl. crew list (no casualties) and information on her war voyages.
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Prebensen & Blakstad, Risør
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5248 gt
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| Built in Glasgow 1918: Previous name: War Singer until 1921.
Pre war: Built as War Singer for Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co. Renamed Akera for same owner in 1921. Sold in 1927 to Prebensen & Blakstad, Risør.
SOLD in 1939 to Ditta Marino Querci, Genoa, converted to cargo ship and renamed Mediceo (Italian flag). Seized by Germans in Sept.-1943 and handed over to Mittelmeer Reederei GmbH. Bombed by British aircraft Jan. 31-1945 and sunk off Tagliamento, Italy.
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Fred. Olsen & Co., Oslo
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832 gt
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| Built Oslo 1914, purchased in 1923.
My page about D/S Akershus has some information on her voyages.
top of page
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E. B. Aaby, Oslo
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933 gt
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| Built Jarlsö 1916.
More information can be found on my page D/S Ala.
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Prebensen & Blakstad, Risør
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9430 gt
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Built in Sunderland 1939.
A Voyage Record is available on my page about M/T Alar.
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Christian Haaland, Haugesund
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5681 gt
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| Built in Vancouver, Canada 1918.
My page D/S Alaska has more information on this ship. Includes a Voyage Record, crew list, details on a torpedoing incident and a summary of Anglo Maersk's captain's report (this ship was sunk in Convoy SL 125 in which Alaska was torpedoed, and had a Norwegian captain and 1st. mate).
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- M/T Albert L. Ellsworth NS *
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Onstad Shipping A/S, Oslo
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8309 gt
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| Built in Gothenburg, Sweden, 1937.
Sunk January 8-1943 by U-436 when on a voyage from Curaçao to Gibraltar with a cargo of 11 473 tons fuel oil in Convoy TM 1. Continue reading about the loss of this ship (includes crew list and a link to more information on this convoy, as well as a WW II Voyage Record).
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I. M. Skaugen, Oslo
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7634 gt
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| Built in Glasgow 1930.
In Admiralty service from 1941 (Royal Fleet Auxiliary).
Torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-10 in July-1943. My page about M/T Alcides has details on her fate, as well as complete crew list at the time of loss, and a WW II Voyage Record.
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Leif Høegh & Co. A/S, Oslo
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8248 gt
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| Built in Gothenburg, Sweden 1935.
Sunk by U-130 on Jan. 21-1942. M/T Alexandra Høegh has a picture, crew list and details on her final fate.
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Nortraship
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5158 gt
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| Built by Consolidated Steel Corporation 1943. Previous name Cape North until 1943.
Taken over by Nortraship on Oct. 23-1943 in Beaumont, Texas, on bareboat charter from the US War Shipping Administration to Nortraship. Continue to M/S Alf Lindeberg for more info (includes information on her WW II voyages.
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Per Gjerding, Bergen
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8817 gt
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| Built Port Glasgow 1934. Previous name Valverda until 1937.
Sunk by the Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli on May 9-1941. Read more about her final fate (incl. crew list and information on her WW II voyages).
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Henrik Østervold, Bergen
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1522 gt
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| Built Haverton Hill, Tees 1923.
Sunk June 18-1940 by U-32. See D/S Altair for further details, incl. crew list and info on WW II voyages.
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