M/T Bralanta - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

M/T Bralanta

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

The daughter of one of Bralanta's crew members, Hans Magnus Jansen, has kindly sent me this picture which shows Bralanta from the stern end. He was on board in various positions (able seaman, 3rd mate, 2nd mate, 1st mate) in the period May-1943 until Febr.-1954, with a few breaks in between. (He had also sailed on Polartank). She also sent 3 more pictures: This one shows the deck of Bralanta where aircraft could be added as deck cargo. This picture may have been taken during the war - no gun has been installed yet. This one is another view of the ship with a gun added.

Manager: Ludv. G. Braathen, Oslo
Tonnage: 9608 gt

Built in Malmö 1936.

Captains: Christian Fredrik Arnesen (my Norwegian Guestbook has a message from his grandson). Also, Captain Olaf Bjønnes (from the sunken ship M/T Solheim, March-1941) was on Bralanta for 3 years, then he was on Nordahl Grieg until the end of the war.

Misc. Convoy Voyages – 1941-1944:

Note that Bralanta is also listed in several westbound North Atlantic convoys, in between the eastbound HX convoy voyages, and in addition to the ON convoys already mentioned on this page. These will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, and my text on this page will be altered to show her voyages in chronological order. In the meantime, please go to these convoys in the list of ships in all ON convoys. As will be seen, she appears in the following:
Convoy ON 65 - Febr.-1942 (bound for Aruba)
Convoy ON 87 - Apr.-1942 (for Aruba)
Convoy ON 111 - July-1942 (for Halifax)
Convoy ON 147 - Nov.-1942 (for New York City)
Convoy ON 187 - June-1943 (destination not given)
Convoy ON 193 - July-1943 (for New York City)
Convoy ON 200 - Sept.-1943
Convoy ON 224 - Febr.-1944 (returned, following a collision, possibly with British El Aleto?)
Convoy ON 225 - Febr.-1944 (as escort oiler)
Convoy ON 238 - May-1944 (escort oiler)
Convoy ON 245 - July-1944 (escort oiler)

This, combined with the information on eastbound voyages provided in my text below, should make it possible to get an overall picture of her North Atlantic crossings back and forth. This external site has departure and arrival dates for the ON convoys.

Bralanta (in station 102) was in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 147 in Aug./Sept-1941 along with the Norwegian Nueva Granada (station 104), Bello (station 114), Solør (station 54), Sandanger (station 103, which means she was the 3rd ship in the 10th column, right behind Bralanta and in front of Nueva Granada), Slemmestad (station 95), Strinda (station 63), G. C. Brøvig (station 44), and probably O. A. Knudsen (or Ida Knudsen? - name is misspelt - in station 112). Bralanta, with destination Curacao, subsequently joined the westbound Convoy ON 18, then towards the end of Oct. that year we find her in Convoy HX 156 from Halifax to the U.K., returning with the westbound Convoy ON 36, which left Liverpool on Nov. 13-1941. Bralanta was in ballast for New York, and had station 75 of this convoy. The following month she joined Convoy HX 167, which left Halifax on Dec. 27-1941. Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were O. A. Knudsen, Thorshavn, Suderøy, Meline, Noreg, O. A. Knudsen, Abraham Lincoln, Sandanger and several unnamed Norwegian vessels.

At the external website that I've linked to below Bralanta is mentioned in Convoy OS 18 in Jan./Febr.-1942, as are a few other Norwegian ships, but she did not sail. In March that year she's listed in Convoy HX 181 from Halifax. Going back to the external website she shows up in station 92 of Convoy SL 112, which left Freetown on June 4-1942 and arrived Liverpool on the 23rd. Bralanta, general cargo and diesel oil, was on a voyage from Aruba for Belfast. Other Norwegian ships were Atlantic, Glittre, Herbrand, Norsktank and the Panamanian Vestfold, which had Norwegian managers.

Bralanta can also be found in Convoy HX 213, which left New York City on Oct. 26-1942 and arrived Liverpool on Nov. 11. She was bound for Mersey and Stanlow with cargo of fuel oil in station 81 of the convoy. In Dec.-1942 she was scheduled for Convoy HX 219 from New York, but did not sail; also cancelled from the next convoy, HX 220.

She subsequently took part in the allied operations in Africa (see Athos for a list of Norwegian ships taking part) and is said to have made a voyage from Algiers to Gibraltar with Convoy MKS 8 at the end of Febr.-1943. In May-1943 she was scheduled for Convoy HX 237 from New York to the U.K., but instead joined the next convoy, HX 238 - destination is given as Stanlow. Already towards the end of June she was back in New York and ready to return to the U.K. with Convoy HX 245, bound for Swansea with cargo of pool fuel, station 93. A couple of months later, in Aug.-1943 she was scheduled for Convoy HX 251 from New York, but joined the next convoy instead, HX 252, bound for Mersey, station 82.

In Jan.-1944 we find her in Convoy HX 275, bound for Clyde, then Stanlow. In May she's listed in Convoy HX 290, and in June that year she was one of several Norwegian ships in Convoy HX 296 from New York. Her destination on that occasion is given as Mersey, Milford Haven and Portsmouth. As mentioned, her westbound convoy voyages in this period are listed further up on this page.

A Collision & Rescue - 1944:

Bralanta helped save the crew (with the exception of 2 men) from the American tanker Sharpsburg (cargo of aviation fuel) which had run into Bralanta in Queens Channel off Liverpool on Oct. 14-1944. Both ships caught on fire but they were brought under control. A British destroyer and a pilotboat also took part in the rescue. The captain of Bralanta at this time is listed as Christian Arnesen again.

In the very last issue of "Krigsseileren" (2000) there's a detailed account of this dramatic rescue written by the carpenter, Johan H. J. Rørstad. On their return trip from the U.S. 7 weeks later the 5 who took part were awarded The Camp and Willaverde Medal for Life Saving at Sea at a reception in Liverpool with a number of dignitaries present.

In addition to Rørstad, these were in the lifeboat:
Petty Officer Hervik, and Able Seamen Jan Kristiansen, Bergen (nickname?), and Jensen. The collision took place in heavy fog just after departure. The crew of Bralanta could see that crew from the burning American tanker started to jump overboard, and the captain asked for volunteers to go to the port lifeboat to try and save as many as they could. Against all odds they battled the burning oil covered seas and managed to pick up 15 men. 1 had simply reached his arms up in the air and quitely let himself sink, but Jan Kristiansen tore his clothes off and jumped after him. He was gone for a long time, but came back to the surface with the unconscious man. To their great relief, a light cruiser now arrived on the scene and the American sailors, all in shock, were helped on board. Just then they saw Bralanta's starboard motor lifeboat which had picked up another 2 men. This boat took the lifeboat in tow back to Bralanta, damaged by the fire but afloat, and 2 1/2 hours after they had first set off in the lifeboat they were back on board.

POST WAR:

Continued to serve under the Norwegian flag until the early 1960's and was broken up during 1962-63.

Related external link:
SL Convoys and OS and OS/KMS - The site also has a section for the OB convoys and the Russian convoys, and a very useful Multi-Convoy Web Search feature - here's the main page. As can be seen, Bralanta is mentioned in Convoy OS 18 and is listed as sailing in SL 112.

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

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, article in "Krigsseileren" No. 3, 2000, and misc. others for cross checking info - ref My sources.