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M/S Arosa To Arosa on the "Ships starting with A" page.
Manager: Tschudi & Eitzen, Oslo Built by A. McMillan & Son Ltd., Dumbarton in 1924. Previous names: Elmworth until 1937, Wind until 1938. Captain: Ivar Ørnulf Olsen. Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives: Please compare the above voyages with Arnold Hague's Voyage Record below.
For more information on the convoys mentioned in this table, please follow the links provided. Other Norwegian ships also sailed in some of them. Errors may exist, and some voyages are missing.
According to Page 1 of the archive documents, Arosa was on her way from Los Angeles to Cristobal when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940. This voyage had started out in Iloilo on March 1 and her final destination was New York, where she arrived Apr. 23. In June that year, she's listed in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 50. Her destination is given as Falmouth on the convoy form, as Cardiff in the Advance Sailing Telegram, cargo of lumber, station 54. She lost touch with the convoy and proceeded to the U.K. alone, arriving Barry on June 26. A month later she joined Convoy OB 190, which originated in Liverpool on July 27 and dispersed on the 31st, Arosa arriving St. John's, N.F. Aug. 6. As will be seen when following the link provided within the Voyage Record, the Norwegian G. C. Brøvig, Gudrun, Snar and Varanger are also included. In Sept.-1940 she's listed, with a cargo of pit props, in the Sydney, C.B. portion of Convoy HX 70 (convoy originated in Halifax on Sept. 1 - Hird was sunk, follow the link for details), and the following month she shows up, together with the Norwegian Reiaas and Rym, in Convoy OA 229, which departed Methil on Oct. 13 and dispersed on the 18th - again, see the external link in the table above. She arrived Three Rivers on Oct. 29, then proceeded to Montreal, where she arrived on Nov. 3, departing again on the 15th for Sydney, C.B., joining the Sydney portion of Convoy HX 90 on Nov. 22. The Commodore's reports and HMS Laconia's report are also available for this convoy, which lost several ships. Arosa, however, returned to port on the 25th, departing the following day for Oban and Hull with a cargo of 2000 tons steel and 5000 tons timber in the Sydney portion of Convoy HX 91 - see also the Commodore's notes, where Arosa is mentioned. She became a straggler from this convoy and arrived Oban on Dec. 9, according to Page 1. She left the following day for Methil Roads, arriving there on the 13th (Convoy WN 52 - see link in record), departing Methil on Dec. 17, and on the 19th she received damages to her main engine (disabled) and had water in No. 5 hold after having struck a mine. She's said to have been in Convoy FN 414 (external link), 3 to 4 cables off Bull Fort (Humber), but this convoy designation appears to be incorrect; for one thing she's not listed in this convoy, and besides departure port and date was Southend, Febr. 22-1941 (arrived Methil on the 24th). She is, however, listed in Convoy FS 362 (also external link), which arrived Southend on Dec. 19, having left Methil on the 17th. There's no mention of a mine in connection with Arosa, but the British Arinia is said to have struck a mine on entering Southend anchorage. There also seems to be some disagreement as to when Arosa arrived Immingham; one source says she arrived on Dec. 21 and was taken in tow that same day for Hull to be repaired, while the archive document gives arrival as Dec. 19, with arrival Hull Dec. 21, remaining there until Febr. 21-1941. In March-1941 she shows up in the Gibraltar bound Convoy OG 55, which originated in Liverpool on March 7 and arrived Gibraltar on the 21st. Arosa, however, was detached from this convoy, her destination being Freetown, where she arrived independently on March 26. This convoy will be added to my Convoys section - in the meantime, the ships sailing in it are named on my page listing ships in all OG convoys. As will be seen, the Norwegian Atle Jarl (returned), Bello, Corvus, Frontenac, Thyra and Trolla are also included. In May that year she's listed as sailing in Convoy SL 74, which left Freetown on May 10 and arrived Liverpool on June 4 (the Norwegian Corvus and Taurus are also included; the latter was sunk). The following month she appears, with destination Halifax, in Convoy OB 343, which left Liverpool on July 6 and dispersed on the 21st, Arosa arriving Halifax on July 25, continuing to New York that same day (Page 1). The Norwegian Evviva, Fanefjeld, Ferncourt (bombed - follow link for info), Grado, Henrik Ibsen, Idefjord, Måkefjell, Nesttun, Slemdal, Spurt, Star, Suderholm and Taborfjell are also listed. I've linked directly to both these convoys within the Voyage Record. Arosa later returned to the U.K. in Convoy SC 42, which left Sydney C. B. on August 30, escorted by the Canadian destroyer Skeena and 3 corvettes. By September 19, 16 ships had gone down due to U-boat attacks (including the Norwegian Stargard), and several had been damaged. My page about this convoy has more details on the battle and the names of ships sunk. See also the external link at the end of this page. Arosa's voyages in this period are shown on Page 2. She later joined the westbound Convoy ON 30 (from Belfast), which originated in Liverpool on Oct. 26-1941, but she returned to port, arriving Oban on Oct. 29, continuing to Loch Ewe the next day. From Loch Ewe, she subsequently joined Convoy ON 32, originating in Liverpool on Nov. 1, arriving Halifax on the 16th. Arosa, however, was bound for Philadelphia, where she arrived on Nov. 21, having become a straggler from the convoy during the night of Nov. 6/7 (the Commodore says this ship was British, but it was the Norwegian Arosa). In Febr.-1942 we find her among the ships in Convoy SC 68 from Halifax (having been cancelled from the previous convoy, SC 67 in which the Norwegian Heina was sunk), returning the following month with Convoy ON 74*, which originated in Liverpool on March 9 and arrived Halifax, Arosa's destination on that occasion, on the 25th. She had joined this convoy from Belfast Lough. Beth, Borgfred, Elg, Sirehei, Thorsholm, Titanian, Tortugas and Tungsha also took part. Arosa headed back to the U.K. again on Apr. 11 with Convoy SC 79 (having been cancelled from the previous convoy, SC 78), bound for Barry Dock, cargo of grain. In May she headed to Montevideo, listed in station 11 of Convoy OS 29, which left Liverpool on May 22-1942. Arosa was on a voyage from Milford to Montevideo via Freetown with coal; joining the convoy from Belfast Lough. She arrived Freetown on June 11, Montevideo on July 6. The following month she joined Convoy SL 120, departing Freetown on Aug. 24, arriving Liverpool on Sept. 15. She was on a voyage from Buenos Aires to Mersey, cargo of wheat. Follow the links provided in the above table - see also Page 2. In Nov.-1942 she shows up in the westbound Convoy ON 146*, which started out Liverpool on Nov. 15 and had New York as its final destination, with arrival there on Dec. 8. However, Arosa's destination was Alexandria on that occasion. Several ships in this convoy were bound for Freetown or Alexandria, and I assume these ships would have left the convoy fairly early on in the voyage in order to proceed to their respective destinations. Other Norwegian ships in ON 146 were Ada, Boreas, Ingertre and Lido. According to Page 3, Arosa stopped at Saldanha Bay on Dec. 23, having sailed from Milford Haven on Nov. 14 - A. Hague says she was detached from the convoy on Nov. 25. In June/July-1943 she's listed as sailing in Convoy SL 132/MKS 16, voyage from Buenos Aires to Loch Ewe, cargo of linseed. Audun, Mammy, Gabon, Dux and Kong Haakon VII are also named. Again, follow the external links provided in the Voyage Record for more convoy details (Arosa sailed in the SL portion from Freetown, departing June 28; the MKS portion is also available on my own site at Convoy MKS 16). Later that year we find her, with Bestik, Cetus, Elg, Iron Baron, Snar, Solstad, Tercero, Tropic Star and Vinland, in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ONS 20*, which originated in Liverpool on Oct. 9 and arrived Halifax on the 26th, however, Arosa's destination is given as Miramichi (N.B.) - again, see Page 3 for information on her voyages at this time. With pit props for Garston, she was scheduled to return to the U.K. the following month in Convoy SC 147 from Halifax, but did not sail and was also cancelled from the next convoy, SC 148 (Vice Commodore in Norhauk, sunk before arrival destination), but finally joined Convoy SC 149 on Dec. 15; destination is now given as Immingham, where she arrived (via various other ports) on Jan. 3-1944. She later joined the westbound Convoy ONS 28*, originating in Liverpool on Jan. 28-1944, arriving Halifax on Febr. 15, but according to A. Hague, Arosa had detached for St. John's, N.F. 4 days earlier, arriving there on Febr. 13. Solstad, Titanian and Velox are also listed in this convoy. As will be seen when going to Page 4 of the archive documents, Arosa subsequently remained in St. John's for quite a long time (unless some movements are missing from the document); departure is given as Apr. 18, when she headed back to the U.K. in the Newfoundland portion of Convoy SC 157*. It'll be noticed that she's not included on my page about this convoy, but it's possible that the ships joining en route are missing from my documents for SC 157. In June she's listed in Convoy OS 81/KMS 55*, voyage Belfast-Pernambuco with coal in station 121. However, she returned to port, subsequently joining the next convoy, OS 82/KMS 56* (station 102), originating in Liverpool on July 1 - ref. links in the table above. Arosa joined from Belfast Lough and arrived Pernambuco on July 27. In Oct.-1944 we find her in station 73 of Convoy SL 173/MKS 64*, which arrived Liverpool on the 28th. Arosa had started out from Santos on Sept. 13, later taking up station 53 of the SL convoy in Freetown on Oct. 9, which joined up with the MKS portion from Gibraltar on Oct. 19 (Bestik joined with the latter portion). Arosa was bound for London with a general cargo consisting of rice, cased meats, coffee, hides, linters, cotton waste, leather, piassava, tobacco, cotton, sundries and 46 bags of mail. Further dates and details are available by following the links in the Voyage Record. The following month she joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ONS 37*, originating in Liverpool on Nov. 28-1944, arriving Halifax on Dec. 21 - Arosa arrived New York on Christmas Eve. Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were Bernhard, Norse Lady and Toledo. At the end of March-1945 A. Hague has included her in Convoy SC 171* from Halifax, but she put into St. John's, N.F. on Apr. 1, subsequently joining the next convoy, SC 172*, from there (convoy originated in Halifax on Apr. 6, arrived Liverpool on the 22nd). Her voyages in this period are shown on Page 5. Both these convoys had several Norwegian ships, namely Evanger, Grey County, Henrik Ibsen, Ima, Morgenen, Norsktank, Norvarg and Vinga in SC 171, and Annik, Glarona, Maud, Minerva, Norelg, Orwell, Sandviken and Solstad in SC 172.
Arosa sailed for Tschudi & Eitzen until 1949, but I don't know what happened to her at that time (she became Italian Enrico Mazzarella in 1951). External link related to the text on this page: Back to Arosa on the "Ships starting with A" page. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, E-mails from M. Holdoway, E-mails from Tony Cooper, and misc.
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