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M/T Alfred Olsen Back to Alfred Olsen on the "Ships starting with A" page. Owner: A/S Binta Built at Port Glasgow in 1934. Previous name Valverda until 1937. Captain: Magnus Warholm.
Follow the convoy links provided for more information on them.
As mentioned, Alfred Olsen is listed among the ships in the Bermuda portion of Convoy HX 46 in May-1940; she had originally been scheduled for the previous convoy, HX 45. In July she joined Convoy OA 183, which left Liverpool on the 12th and dispersed on the 15th. She was scheduled to return to the U.K. with Convoy HX 64 (Bermuda portion), but instead joined the next convoy, HX 65. This convoy originated in Halifax on Aug. 12, but Alfred Olsen again joined from Bermuda. Follow the links for more convoy information. The following month she's listed, with destination Capetown, in Convoy OB 215, which left Liverpool on Sept. 17 and dispersed on the 21st - see links provided in the Voyage Record above.
She was on a voyage from Freetown (said to have departed Preston on May 7-1941) for Aruba in ballast when she was attacked and sunk by over 100 shells from the Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli (Fecia di Cossato) at 21:30 ship's time on May 9, position 03N 20 10W, after having been followed by the sub for 48 hours. (Enrico Tazzoli had been out for a month and had fired her last torpedo at Alfred Olsen on May 8 but missed, position given is 02 59N 20 26W). 2 lifeboats were initially launched, one from the starboard side amidships, the other aft, but as the captain felt that this was not sufficient he and the 2nd mate lowered a 3rd boat from the port side in which they were joined by Mechanic N. Malkenes. The intention was to have the rest of the crew distribute themselves in the 3 boats, but contact with the other 2 boats was subsequently lost. The ship had caught on fire from bow to stern, but the captain's boat remained close by for 6 hours hoping to re-embark if the fire should die out. However, when it became clear she could not be saved they took off. As day dawned they saw several tremendous explosions which appeared to originate from the engine room, and nothing but black smoke could be seen after that. At this time the sub was spotted leaving the scene at great speed in a southwesterly direction.
At around noon on May 13 the captain spotted smoke, and assuming it to be a ship, course was set towards it. Shortly afterwards S/S Lackenby of West Hartlepool altered course to pick them up (04 56N 19 15W), then sank the lifeboat, before taking them to Freetown where they landed on May 16. Once there, the captain requested the Naval Authorities to send out a flying boat to search for the other 2 lifeboats. The 1st mate's boat with 15 on board landed in Sierra Leone on May 19, and on the 25th the Belgian Laurent Meeus arrived in Curaçao with the 16 occupants of the 3rd lifeboat who had been picked up on May 14 in 00 4N 0 17W. The hearings were held at the Norwegian Consulate in London on June 17-1941. The captain wrote a report on the sinking aboard the Greek Nea Hellas (ex British Tuscania) on May 19-1941; I'm not sure why he was on that ship, perhaps as a passenger back to the U.K.? Enrico Tazzoli had also sunk M/S Fernlane on May 7.
Crew List: * There's also an Able Seaman Henry Brekke listed among the survivors of Corneville, but I don't know whether it's the same man.
External links related to the text on this page: Back to Alfred Olsen on the "Ships starting with A" page. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Norwegian Maritime Museum, Volume I, and misc - ref My sources.
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