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D/S Bolette To Bolette on the "Ships starting with B" page. Owner: A/S Ganger Rolf Built in Oslo in 1920. Captain: Gabriel Hansen
Bolette is listed in Convoy HN 7 from Norway to the U.K. in Jan.-1940, returning to Norway at the end of Jan. with Convoy ON 9. The following month she joined Convoy HN 10B from Norway, bound for Grangemouth with general cargo. Early in March we find her in the U.K.-Norway Convoy ON 17A, and at the end of that month, shortly before the German invasion of Norway, she joined Convoy HN 22, again bound for Grangemouth with general cargo - follow links for more info; several Norwegian ships took part in all these convoys. In Sept.-1940 she shows up in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 4, which had a large number of Norwegian ships. Bolette was bound for Whitehaven with a cargo of lumber. There's a note in connection with this convoy stating that she also appears in the Advance Sailing Telegram for Convoy HX 72. Towards the end of the following month she was scheduled (with destination Sydney, C.B.) for Convoy OB 232, which left Liverpool on Oct. 21, but she did not sail. Related external links: See also this
Hit by 2 bombs from a German aircraft on April 16-1941 off St. Ives near Lands End on a voyage from Workington for Devonport with a cargo of coal. She had arrived Milford Haven on Apr. 13 to await convoy, then departed in convoy on the morning of Apr. 15. According to the captain's statements at the subsequent hearings the attack took place at 02:20 (Apr. 16). 1 of the bombs hit just behind the bridge, the other on the poop deck, causing the engine to stop and the light to go out. There was a fire in Hold No. 3, she listed to port and started to sink. The port lifeboat was launched with 9 men but before it could get clear the ship capsized and the foremast hit the boat pushing it under so that those in it ended up in the sea. The steward, who was on his way to the forward raft at that time, was struck in the back of his head by the mast and also thrown into the sea. Bolette sank in 5 minutes (50 25N 05 35W). Some were able to climb onto the keel of the capsized lifeboat, others, including the steward swam towards the raft floating nearby.
The 11 survivors were picked up about an hour later by the destroyer HMS Kipling and taken to Plymouth. The maritime hearings were held there on Apr. 19-1941 with Captain Hansen, 1st Engineer Heldal, Steward Andersen, and Boatswain Johansen appearing. The latter was at the helm when the attack occurred.
Related external links: Lillesand Sjømannsforening's website (Lillesand Seamen's Association) has a picture of this ship, along with pictures of several other Norwegian ships. Back to Bolette on the "Ships starting with B" page. Other ships by this name: Fred. Olsen's 1st Bolette (named for his mother) was built in Fredrikstad in 1910, 1431 gt - sunk in the North Sea by a German U-boat on June 22-1917. A 3rd Bolette (motor vessel) was built in Belfast in 1951, sold to John S. Latsis, Athens in 1964. Their 4th Bolette (motor tanker) built 1965 in Japan, was sold in 1970 to S.F.T.P., Paris. The 5th Bolette (motor vessel), ex Daghild was built in Malmö in 1974, purchased in 1979 and sold in Dec. that same year to Linsland Shipping, Monrovia and renamed World Joy. Fred. Olsen's 6th ship by this name was purchased in 1984, 5286 gt, ex Sally Express, built at Papenburg in 1974. Passenger/car ferry Norway-Denmark. Sold in 1988 to Comarit, Morocco and renamed Boughaz. 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), and misc. - ref My sources.
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