M/T Athos
Updated March 30-2008

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


Source: Historical Department, MAN B&W Diesel, Copenhagen - (see their museum website, external link).
They also sent me this picture, as well as this one.

(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database).

A. Hague has included Athos in Convoy HX 161, which left Halifax on Nov. 21-1941 and arrived Liverpool on Dec. 6. As can be seen when going to my own page about this convoy, she's not mentioned there, but my information is incomplete. She subsequently returned across the Atlantic with the westbound Convoy ON 48*, which departed Liverpool on Dec. 19-1941 and dispersed on the 31st. Her destination on that occasion is given as Houston. The Norwegian Buenos Aires, Chr. Th. Boe, Grena, Havkong, Havprins, Heranger, Høegh Scout, Kollskegg, Nueva Andalucia, Solfonn, Solstad, and Sveve are also listed in this convoy.

In Febr.-1942 we find her in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 174, together with the Norwegian James Hawson, Høegh Giant, Fernwood, Vanja, Thorsholm, Beth and Anderson, as well as the Panamanian Norvinn - all listed on this website. Later that month she joined the westbound Convoy ON 71* in order to travel to Aruba (departure Liverpool Febr. 26, dispersed March 8). Other Norwegian ships, some of which were also bound for Aruba, were Fagerfjell, Fjordaas, Gallia, Garonne, Høegh Giant, John Bakke, Malmanger, Skaraas, Solfonn, and Velma, as well as the Panamanian Norvik, which had Norwegian managers and is included under the N's on this website. Athos returned to the U.K. in April in Convoy HX 184. She may have joined the westbound Convoy ON 91*, which left Liverpool on May 1 and dispersed on the 15th - I say "may", because there's a note attached saying "not listed but dates coincide". However, Athos is listed in Convoy OS 27 on May 2-1942 at the external site that I've linked to in the Voyage Record, voyaging in ballast from Liverpool to Curacao in station 104, and if she was in this convoy, she could not have been in ON 91, unless she joined but returned. (This convoy also had quite a few Norwegian ships, namely Bello, Geisha, Heranger, Kronprinsen, Laurits Swenson, Rio Novo, Salamis, and Skaraas).

A. Hague also has her in the Trinidad-Curacao Convoy TO 2 (left Trinidad May 27-1942, arrived Curacao May 30), as well as in the Curacao-Trinidad Convoy OT 5 (departure Curacao June 1), and also lists her as bound for Freetown in Convoy OT 7, which left Curacao on June 9 and dispersed on the 12th. She's also mentioned in Convoy SL 115, which left Freetown for Liverpool on July 5-1942 (see link at the end of this page), but she did not not sail. She shows up again in Convoy TAW 7, leaving Trinidad on July 21-1942. This convoy arrived Key West on the 28th, but Athos was bound for Puerto la Cruz, with arrival there on the 22nd. The following month we find her in Convoy TAW 11C, which left Curacao on Aug. 5-1942 and arrived Key West on the 16th. (None of these convoys are available on my own site).

In Sept. that same year she sailed in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 206, having been cancelled from HX 205 (according to the Voyage Record she had previously arrived Halifax from Boston in Convoy BX 35B on Aug. 30, together with Bello, Brimanger, Brush, Emma Bakke, Ferncourt, Kosmos II, Molda, Norheim, Polarsol, Polartank, Sandanger, and Thorshov). She later returned with the westbound Convoy ON 133*, which originated in Liverpool on Sept. 25-1942 and arrived New York, her destination at the time, on Oct. 11. She was again in the company of many other Norwegian ships: Anna Knudsen, Bello, Brimanger, Emma Bakke, Garonne, Grey County, Kosmos II, Minerva, Molda, Noreg, Nueva Granada, Petter II (returned), Polarsol, Polartank, Sandanger, Skandinavia, Thorshavet, Thorshov, and the Panamanian Norbris (Norwegian managers). Several of these ships later returned to the U.K. in Convoy HX 216, which departed New York on Nov. 19-1942, and Athos is also included in the Advance Sailing Telegram for this convoy, but when a gale was encountered, she returned to New York with engine trouble, subsequently joining Convoy HX 218 on Dec. 5. (Arnold Hague does not mention Athos in connection with HX 216, as can be seen by going to this external page).

She later took part in the Torch Operations, which had commenced in Nov.-1942. In fact, only a few days after arrival U.K. with Convoy HX 218 towards the end of Dec.-1942, we find her listed as bound for Gibraltar in Convoy KMS 6, in which Akabahra was sunk; the Norwegian President de Vogue and Belnor are also listed in this convoy, which left Clyde on Christmas Eve. Evviva is said to have joined from Oran later.

Several Norwegian ships took part in the Torch operations as follows:
Bergensfjord (troop transport), Akabahra, Elisabeth Bakke, Ferncliff, Kong Sverre, Prins Harald, Troubadour, Vinland (all military transports), Bralanta, Ferncourt, G. C. Brøvig, Kaia Knudsen, Noreg (I believe this should be Norelg, the facts don't quite fit with Noreg), Salamis, Solør, Thorsholm, Vardefjell (all tankers), Berto, Bjørkhaug, Brisk, Evviva, Facto, Hildur I, Ingerfire, Marga, Mammy, Selvik, Selbo, Torfinn Jarl (all ammunition and supply vessels). More info on each ship can be found under the corresponding letters in the alphabet on this website. I don't believe all these could have been in the first Torch convoy KMF 1* which reached the Gibraltar Straits on Nov. 5; some of them must have been in the slower KMS convoys which had departed Gt. Britain a little earlier and arrived around the same time, or in some of the later convoys (for instance, Prins Harald was in KMS 3 which departed Liverpool on Nov 7). This will be possible to determine by going to the section naming ships in KMS convoys, and ships in MKS convoys. All these convoys will later be added to individual pages in my Convoys section.

*KMF 1 consisted of 39 ships and departed Clyde on Oct. 26-1942, arriving Oran on Nov. 8. The American transport Thomas Stone (ex President Van Buren) was torpedoed and damaged on Nov. 7 - the troops on this ship were to be landed at Algiers in the first wave of assault. She carried 24 LCA's, and the commander of the U.S. troops on board requested that the landing craft be lowered and ordered the troops to embark in an attempt to reach Algiers (140 miles) escorted by HMS Spey. The effort was unsuccessful due to heavy seas and breakdowns and all except 2 sank, whereupon the troops were taken on board Spey and eventually reached Algiers. Thomas Stone was taken in tow by HMS Wishart and beached off Algiers, later handed over to the French Navy in 1943 and used as a hulk at Algiers (Arnold Hague, "The Allied Convoy System"). According to Jürgen Rohwer the ship was hit by an airborne torpedo, position 37 31N 00 01E. He adds that U-205 missed a British troop transport in this convoy on the same date, calling the convoy KMF 1A (this simply refers to the Algiers section, while the Oran section was suffixed O).

Other Norwegian ships took part later on. Also, "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland says the Norwegian destroyer Glaisdale (Thore Horve) was responsible for another convoy of 32 ships which left Clyde on Oct. 30, arriving Gibraltar on Nov. 10. This must have been Convoy KX 5, in which she's included, together with several Norwegian merchant ships (external link).

Going back to the Voyage Record, we find that Athos sailed in Convoy GAT 44, leaving Guantanamo on Febr. 14-1943, arriving Trinidad on the 19th; Athos, however was bound for Curacao, where she arrived on the 17th. The Norwegian Austvangen and Ragnhild are also listed. Athos is also included in Convoy TAG 43, which arrived Guantanamo from Trinidad on Febr. 23, Athos having started out in Curacao on Febr. 20. She then appears in Convoy GN 43, which left Guantanamo on Febr. 23 and arrived New York on March 2. She later joined Convoy HX 231, leaving New York on March 25-1943, arriving Liverpool on Apr. 10. The Norwegian Katy, Mosdale, Norheim, Ørnefjell, Reinholt, Scebeli, Slemmestad, and the Panamanian Norvinn (Norwegian managers and, therefore, included on my site) are also listed. These convoys are not available on my own site, but I've linked directly to them in the above table.

Athos returned to New York later that month with the westbound Convoy ON 179*, which originated in Liverpool on Apr. 18-1943 and arrived New York on May 6; again several other Norwegian ships are listed, as follows: Boreas (returned to port), Buenos Aires, Høyanger, Katy, Molda, Mosdale, Norheim, President de Vogue, and Tai Shan. Some of these ships, including Athos, subsequently headed back to the U.K. in Convoy HX 239. Her destination is given as Scapa, and she had station 43 of the convoy, which left New York on May 13. A few days after arrival U.K. she joined the westbound Convoy ON 187*, originating in Liverpool on June 1, arriving New York on the 15th. Annik, Braga, Bralanta, Elisabeth Bakke, Fagerfjell, Frontenac, Helgøy, Kronprinsen, Lista, Morgenen, Norbryn, Norefjord, O. B. Sørensen, President de Vogue, Toledo, and Vanja are also listed, as is the Panamanian Norvinn. The following month Athos sailed in Convoy HX 248, which left New York on July 15. Athos' destination is given as Devonport. She returned to New York again with the westbound Convoy ON 196*, originating in Liverpool on Aug. 8, arriving New York on the 21st. Other Norwegian ships were California Express, Fjordaas, Gefion, Hardanger, Montevideo, Mosli, Oregon Express, Roald Amundsen, Skotaas, and Trondheim.

Athos subsequently joined Convoy NG 382, leaving New York on Aug. 26-1943, arriving Guantanamo Sept. 2, Athos having detached for Trinidad. She then appears in Convoy TJ 8, departing Trinidad on Sept. 13-1943; Athos detached for Capetown on Oct. 4, where she arrived independently on the 14th. Towards the end of the following month we find her in the Bandar Abbas-Aden Convoy PA 62 (departure Nov. 25, arrival Aden Dec. 1). Athos detached from this convoy on Nov. 27 and proceeded to Port Elisabeth. She's also listed in 2 other PA convoys, namely PA 66 (Jan. 14-1944), and PA 69 (Febr.-1944) - again, ref. the external links provided in the above table; as will be seen, other Norwegian ships are also listed in these convoys.

In March-1944 I have her in Convoy GUS 33. This convoy, which had a number of Norwegian ships, departed Port Said on March 5 and arrived Hampton Roads on Apr. 4, but many ships had other destinations and left the convoy along the way. In fact, Athos is said to have parted company for Tunis on March 12. According to the Voyage Record she made a voyage from Bizerta to Port Said in Convoy UGS 35, which had originated in Hampton Roads on March 4 and arrived Port Said on the 31st, but as already mentioned, Athos joined from Bizerta. She's also listed in Convoy AP 68, which left Aden on Apr. 11-1944 and arrived Bandar Abbas on the 18th. The Norwegian Elise and Høegh Silverlight are also included.

For information on some of the rest of her war voyages, please go back to the Voyage Record.

* All the ON convoys mentioned on this page are available and will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, along with further details on each. In the meantime, please go to these convoys in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. As will be seen, several Norwegian ships are included.

For more information on all the other Norwegian ships mentioned on this page, please see the alphabet index below, or go to the Master Ship Index.

Related external links:
OS and OS/KMS Convoys - The site also has a section for the SL / SL/MKS convoys. Athos is listed among the ships in Convoy OS 27, and is mentioned in SL 115. Note also that by going to this section of the same site and clicking on "Ship Search", using "Athos" as keyword, several convoys will come up (please be aware, however, that some ships of other nationalities will also appear in the search results). I've linked directly to them within the above table.

Stavern Memorial commemoration - This is Captain Sofus Fischer Pedersen, who died at sea on May 30-1941 following an illness.

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

Norway had also had a ship by this name in WW I, built in Oslo in 1913, 1708 gt - torpedoed and sunk by the German UB-34 in the North Sea on Jan. 26-1918, voyage Rouen, France to Middlesbrough in ballast.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Skip og menn", Birger Dannevig, "The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague, and misc. (ref. My sources).