D/S Akershus
Updated Febr. 24-2008, with information found in Voyage Record, received from Don Kindell
(his source: The late Arnold Hague's database).

To Akershus on the "Ships starting with A" page.

Some War Voyages:

Towards the end of May-1940, Akershus was briefly in Convoy OA 156, which left Southend on May 27 and was dispersed 3 days later. She was bound for St. Malo at the time. The Norwegian Inger Lise and Varangberg are also listed; see the external links provided below. (Another section of the same site has also included the Norwegian Bjørkhaug and Ruth I in this convoy).

In Oct. that year she made a voyage from Clyde to Methil with Convoy WN 22, departing Clyde on Oct. 11-1940, arriving Methil on the 14th. She left Methil again on the 17th in Convoy FS 312, which arrived Southend on Oct. 19. On Nov. 11-1940 she joined Convoy FN 332 from Southend, arriving Methil on Nov. 14. The Norwegian Edle, Kolsdal, and Raftsund also sailed in this convoy, while Akershus was the only Norwegian ship in the other 2 convoys.

When the U-boats started to move further and further west in the Atlantic, posing a serious threat to ships that had belonged to dispersed convoys and were left to sail on alone, the Allies established escort bases in Iceland and St. John's, New Foundland early on in 1941. From Apr.-1941 the Iceland escorts were responsible for convoys between 18W and 35W. From May that year the Canadian Navy was responsible for escorting ships from 35W to the convoy terminals in Sydney, C.B. and Halifax. Better air protection was also provided after British aircraft were stationed in Iceland in April. Also, the Norwegian 330th Squadron was stationed there.

Akershus was fitted out as a salvage vessel by the Admiralty and stationed in Iceland at the end of July-1941. Early the following month she made a voyage from Methil Roads to Loch Ewe with Convoy EC 54, having departed Methil Roads on Aug. 4-1941, arriving Loch Ewe on the 6th. (This convoy had originated in Southend on Aug. 2 and arrived Clyde on the 8th. The Norwegian Cetus, Colombia, Libra, Rym, Sneland I, and Torfinn Jarl also took part). That same day (Aug. 6) she joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 5, in order to travel to Iceland. Convoy ON 5 was dispersed in 53 29N 37 35W on Aug. 14. As will be seen when following the link, this convoy also had several Norwegian ships.

In the spring of 1944 she was transferred to Cowes, Isle of Wight to be used during the invasion of Normandie (Operation Overlord - D-day), where about 50 Norwegian ships took part.

On July 10-1944 she's listed, with destination Southampton, in the Advance Sailing Telegram for Convoy RU 126A from Iceland to the U.K. She left Barry on July 31-1944, joining Convoy EBC 58 (together with the Norwegian Acasta, Hildur I, and Thore Hafte), and arrived Southampton on Aug. 2.

No further details are available on Akershus' war voyages.

All the convoys mentioned here are included at the external website that I've linked to below. For more information on all the other Norwegian ships named here, please see the alphabet index at the end of this page.

POST WAR:

Sold in 1950.

Related external links:
OB / OA / OG) convoys - OA 156 is included. Note also that by going to this section of the same site and clicking on "Ship Search", using "Akershus" as keyword, all the convoys mentioned in my text above will come up. Here are WN 22, FS 312, FN 332, EC 54, Convoy EBC 58. This section of the site also has OA 156, ON 5 and RU 126A, but Akershus is not mentioned in the latter.

See also this chronological list of
OA & OB convoys

Back to Akershus on the "Ships starting with A" page.

(Det Stavangerske Dampskibsselskab had a container ship named Akershus built 1977, 495 gt, Became 635 gt in 1983).

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, and misc., including Voyage Record received from Don Kindell (His source: The late Arnold Hague's database).