D/S Bjørnvik - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

D/S Bjørnvik

To Bjørnvik on the "Ships starting with B" page.

Survivors and Casualties

Manager: A. F. Bjørnstad, Oslo
Tonnage: 812 gt, 386 net, 1040 tdwt.
Call Sign: LJZP.

Built at Selby 1918. Previous names: Runa, Reias, Flynarthen, Kildre. (Info from a visitor to my website; his source: "Shipwreck Index of the British Isles").

Captain: Einar Gunnestad, later Victor Esbensen.

Misc. WW II details:

Bjørnvik (Captain Einar Gunnestad) was in Gdynia, Poland on September 1-1939 when Germany attacked Poland, and although the ship was badly damaged from the bombings of the harbour, loading was stopped and she managed to get out.

She's listed in Convoy HN 11 from Norway to the U.K. in Febr.-1940, bound for Blyth in ballast. She returned to Norway later that month with the U.K.-Norway Convoy ON 15. At the end of March she joined Convoy HN 23A, cargo of pulp for London. This convoy arrived Methil on Apr. 3, so Bjørnvik got out of Norway shortly before the Germans invaded (Apr. 9-1940). Follow the links for more convoy info; several Norwegian ships took part.

Damaged during an air attack while in a coastal convoy between Dartmouth and Southampton on April 9-1941 and went to Dartmouth with an unexploded bomb on board (it was later detonated in a safe place). See my page about Buesten.

Final Fate - 1942:

Bjørnvik (Captain Victor Esbensen) had been separated from Convoy WP 103 in bad weather shortly after having passed Hartland Pt. in the evening of Jan. 27-1942. She had joined the convoy that morning, voyaging from Newport to Fowey with a cargo of patent fuel. Late in the afternoon of the 28th, about 2.8 (5?) naut. miles from Lizard Head she was suddenly attacked by German aircraft. 1st Mate Stephan Meyer, who had just been down for his meal, heard shots from the guns on the bridge, and realizing they were under attack, he ran out on the after deck in order to get to the machine gun there *, but was knocked down by the blast before he could get that far. Five bombs hit and literally pulverized her; 2 in No. 2 hatch, 2 amidships and 1 close to the starboard quarters. The 1st mate threw himself over the rail and started to swim, then caught hold of a hatch, but this was pulled under with the suction with him holding on to it (she sank by the stern in 30-40 seconds). As he came up he saw the forecastle going down.

Stoker Ragnar Skauge (who had been in his cabin forward, was knocked down by the blast but managed to get out on deck) and the British gunner (the latter on gun duty on the bridge) also jumped overboard just as the ship disappeared from underneath them, then managed to grab a lifebuouy raft which kept all 3 survivors afloat for 17 hours until the Dutch ship Rika (Captain Snetin) found them and took them to Falmouth. They had attempted to row towards land, but the wind and current prevented them from getting any closer.

* According to the 1st mate's statement at the subsequent maritime hearings, permanent watch was kept by the 2 machine guns on the bridge, while the aft gun (normally served by the steward) and a 4th gun on top of the wheelhouse did not have permanent watch. He further stated that the English gunner had told him they started firing a little late, being afraid the aircraft might be British, as they were quite close to an English base. Also, they had seen 2 large English aircraft earlier that day, when off Cape Cornwall. Bjørnvik also had parachute rockets which could be fired from the bridge, but this was not done in this case, presumably because there had not been enough time to do so.

The maritime hearings were held in London on Febr. 9-1942 with the 2 Norwegian survivors appearing.

Crew List:

Survivors
1st Mate Stephan Meyer	Stoker Ragnar Skauge	Gunner Name unknown (Bitish)
Casualties:
† Captain Viktor Esbensen	† 2nd Mate Harald Haraldsen	† Boatswain Oluf Olsen	† Able Seaman Ingar Henrik Halvorsen	† Able Seaman Hilmar Brenden	† Able Seaman John Regan * (British)
† Able Seaman Sverre Stahl **	† 1st Engineer Karl Kristiansen	† 2nd Engineer Jens Beckmann	† Assistant Wladyslaw Wisneiwski (Polish)	† Donkeyman August Saarkoppel (Estonian)	† Stoker J. T. Burdall * (British)
† Stoker Ingvald Rolland	† Steward Bjarne Edvardsen	† Cook Oskar A. Lorensen	† Mess Boy Thomas Davies (British)	† Gunner Name unknown (British)

Billy McGee, England has told me the men denoted * are commemorated at Tower Hill, Panel 17. Further details on them can be found by entering each name in the relevant search field on The Commonwealth War Graves website, using WW II and 1942 in the other search fields to narrow the search. Date of death is given as Jan. 29-1942. I'm unable to find a Thomas Davies that fits the date of Bjørnvik's loss. However, here's a Guestbook message from a relative.

** Able Seaman Sverre Stahl is included in the casualty list in "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", but there's no notation saying that he died. He is, however, mentioned as being among the casualties in a statement made at the hearings, which adds he was at the helm on the bridge at the time of attack. The book says 16 died, 3 survived, and when adding his name there is 1 too many. The 2nd mate was also on the bridge. 2 able seamen, the boatswain, the 2 Norwegian stokers and the donkeyman, who had all been forward, were apparently uninjured after the attack, because Stoker Skauge had met them on deck and the boatswain had asked them to assist in launching the lifeboat buoy which was lying on the port side at No. 1 hatch, but due to the smoke and flames they could not do so. Stoker Skauge did not see the others again after he had jumped overboard, and they were believed to have gone down with the suction. In the engine room was Assistant Wisneiwski, while Stoker Burdall was in the fire room. No-one had been able to save themselves from the boiler room, engine room or cabins.

Related external links:
Some of the casualties - 11 Norwegians are commemorated. There's an Assistant (engine room) Gunnar Knutsen listed who is not found in my casualty list, he may have died in a separate incident. The Norwegian text says 10 Norwegians and 6 of other nationalities perished.

Charles M. Willie & Co. Shipping Limited used to have a page on company history that stated that Bjørnvik was managed by them. The particular page that contained this piece of info now appears to have been taken down, as they are in the process of redoing the site(?).

Back to Bjørnvik on the "Ships starting with B" page.

A. F. Bjørnstad had another ship by this name after the war; this was the former D/S Ara, purchased by A. F. Bjørnstad in July-1948 and renamed Bjørnvik (follow the link for her further history).

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume I (Norwegian Maritime Museum) - ref My sources.