D/S Brant County - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

D/S Brant County

To Brant County on the "Ships starting with B" page.

Crew List

Source: Bjørn Milde's postcard collection.

Received from, and painted by, Jan Goedhart, Holland.
Note that Lillesand Sjømannsforening also has a picture of this ship (scroll down to the B's).
Additionally, Uboat.net has a picture on this page (both are external links)

Manager: Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab, Bergen
Tonnage: 5001 gt, 7875 tdwt.
Dimensions: 419.4' x 54.1' x 26.3'.
Machinery: Triple expansion 3800 ihp, 13 knots.
Signal Letters: LCFI

Operated on County Line services (Inter-Continental Transport Services, Ltd. Bergen).

Some Pre War History:

Delivered in Jan.-1919 from AG Neptun, Rostock, Germany (344). She had been launched in Nov.-1915 as Mülhausen, but laid up unfinished. Work re-commenced in 1918, completed Jan-1919 as Lennep for Deutsch-Australische Dampfschiffahrts Ges., Hamburg. Handed over to Gt. Britain in Aug.-1919. Purchased by Bergenske D/S in March-1921 via J. Coull & Sons, Newcastle. In 1936 cabins for 10 passengers were installed.

"Merchant Ships of the World" by Laurence Dunn, says, among other things, the following:
"In most ships there is an element of conformity and linkage with her period and trade. But not so with the Brant County, whose two slim, closely spaced funnels represented a reversion to a much earlier style. Of all the ships regularly employed on the North Atlantic, where she spent nearly all her life, no other could boast quite such a profile (Jan also sent me a picture of the ship from this book). With but the fewest exceptions, notably the Howick Hall, this close spacing of funnels on cargo ships had been associated with just one firm. This was the D.A.D.G. (Deutsch-Australisch D.G.) or German Australian Line who, years earlier, just before and after the turn of the century, had built a number of cargo liners with this "twin woodbine" profile".

The book adds that she was laid down to D.A.D.G. with the intended name Mülhausen, as mentioned, which conformed to D.A.D.G. policy, "yet she was completed as the Lennep, apparently named after a Dutch fiction writer of the 19th century. Such a choice suggests that there had been ideas of a sale to Holland". She was "built and engined by the Akt. Ges. Neptun of Rostock. Her main dimensions were length b.p. 419.9', breadth 54.1' and depth of hold 26.3'. The load draught was 24' 11". She had 2 decks and 5 hatches and was propelled by a set of triple expansion engines with cylinders of approx. 30, 48 3/4 and 80 3/4" diameter and 55" stroke. The 4 single ended boilers had a working pressure of 213 psi. The coal bunker capacity was 845 tons, with reserve space for a further 1,070 tons. Her speed, it would seem, was never shown in reference books, but her passage times suggest and average of 11/12 knots. Her d.w tonnage was 7, 937. Gross measurement was originally 4972, later 5289 and finally 5001.

As the Lennep she was surrendered to Great Britain in 1919 and managed on behalf of the Shipping Controller by F.C. Strick & Co. Ltd. In March-1921, while lying at Swansea, she was one of a batch of some 70 ex German ships offered for sale to British nationals. Bought by Coull & Sons, Newcastle, she was renamed Brant County and resold that year to become the largest ship of Bergenske D/S. Her red, white and black funnel markings were not theirs, but were linked with a venture started by Canada Steamship Lines, Ltd., Montreal who, in May-1921, announced the opening of a regular cargo liner service between the St. Lawrence and Europe; the Continental ports eventually settled on being Hamburg, Rotterdam, Antwerp and Le Havre. The new company was advertised as the Inter-Continental Transport Services Ltd. (County Line). The ships used in this line were generally renamed after Canadian counties and were chartered from Norwegian companies like Mowinckel, Westfal-Larsen, Bergenske D/S, L.W. Hansen and Olaf Orvig."

Captain in WW II: Norvald Brevik.

Misc. Convoy Voyages – 1940 -1943:

Note that Brant County is also listed in several westbound North Atlantic convoys, in between some of the eastbound HX convoy voyages mentioned on this page (and in addition to ON 5, ON 145 and ON 162). 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 this list of ships in all ON convoys. As will be seen, she appears in the following:
Convoy ON 28 - Oct.-1941
Convoy ON 54 - Jan.-1942 (bound for St. John, N.B.)
Convoy ON 79 - March-1942 (St. John)
Convoy ON 97 - May-1942 (for Sydney, C.B.)
Convoy ON 129 - Sept.-1942 (St. John)

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.

In May-1940 Brant County can be found among the ships in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 42, several of which were Norwegian. Her destination is given as Le Havre, general cargo, station 83. In Aug. that year she's listed in Convoy HX 64, general cargo for Garston, and in Oct. she shows up in Convoy OB 226, which left Liverpool on Oct. 9-1940. Her destination on that occasion was Montreal, station 32. More info on this convoy is available at the first external link provided below. She returned to the U.K. the following month with Convoy HX 87, bound for Liverpool with general cargo.

In March-1941 she's listed in Convoy OB 301, leaving Liverpool on March 23; no destination is given - again, see the external link below. At the end of the following month she joined Convoy HX 122, bound for Avonmouth with a general cargo, station 74, then in June/July she's listed in Convoy HX 136, bound for Avonmouth with general cargo and misc. war stores (trucks, aircraft, guns, shells), joining from Sydney, C.B. She returned across the Atlantic the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 5, leaving Liverpool on Aug. 6-1941. Her destination is given as Montreal on that occasion.

In Sept.-1941 she was in station 87 of Convoy HX 149. Other Norwegian ships were Daghild (station 63), Brasil (83), Thorsholm (33), Innerøy (35), Thorshov (64), Somerville (66?), Glittre (24), Lise (44), Harpefjell (86), Norvik (Panamanian flag, Norwegian managers and therefore included on this website, in station 84, behind Brasil) and Aristophanes (station 43), as well as an unnamed Norwegian tanker in station 73.

As already mentioned she was in Convoy ON 28 in Oct.-1941, as were the Norwegian Polartank and Laurits Swenson among other Norwegian ships. When the convoy was located by U-boats on Oct. 29 the Admiralty redirected it and ordered the fastest ships (including the 3 Norwegian ones) to go on alone. Arnold Hague ("The Allied Convoy System") says this convoy departed Liverpool on Oct. 20 and was dispersed in 42 23N 58 44W, Nov. 3-1941. 43 ships, 1 damaged (the American Salinas by U-106 on Oct. 30). Follow the link provided above to ships in all ON convoys for names of other ships in ON 28.

The following month Brant County returned to England with Convoy HX 162 (departing Halifax Nov. 27-1941) together with the Norwegian Astrell, Bello, Katy, Sama, Skandinavia, Beth and Høegh Scout. Norvinn (Panamanian flag, Norw. managers and therefore listed on this site) was also scheduled to be in this convoy but did not sail.

In Febr.-1942 we find her in Convoy HX 175, in Apr. that year she shows up in HX 186, and in Aug. she sailed in Convoy HX 202, general cargo for Belfast (station 91). Brant County was severely reprimanded for being a "bad roamer" in this convoy - there's more about this in the Commodore's notes on my page about HX 202. (Again, see the list of ON convoys further up on this page for some of her westbound voyages in this period).

She's also listed in the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 211 in Oct.-1942, bound for Avonmouth with general cargo, joining the convoy from Halifax. She returned across the ocean the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 145 and witnessed 3 British ships being torpedoed on Nov. 21 (British Renown, damaged - British Promise, damaged and Empire Sailor, sunk - all by U-518). This convoy departed Liverpool on Nov. 9, arriving New York on the 25th. Brant County had joined from Belfast. According to a message in my Guestbook (see the message on the bottom of the Guestbook page) the Norwegian Skaraas, Thorhild, and Mosli were also in this convoy (ON 145 will be updated to show all the ships sailing in it). Christmas that year was spent while in Convoy HX 219, which originated in New York on Dec. 13, but Brant County joined the convoy from Halifax on the 16th, general cargo and mail, bound for Holyhead, then Avonmouth. This convoy arrived Liverpool on Dec. 29-1942. The following month Brant County joined the westbound Convoy ON 162, leaving Liverpool on Jan. 23-1943, arriving New York on Febr. 11.

More details on all the Norwegian ships mentioned here can be found with the help of the alphabet index at the end of this page.

Related external links:
OB convoys - OB 226 and OB 301 are included.

Final Fate - 1943:

36 men, including the captain and 8 passengers died when Brant County was torpedoed on March 11-1943 by U-86 (Schug, see * below) while in Convoy HX 228, which originated in New York on Febr. 28. Brant County, however, joined the convoy from Halifax on March 4, having previously cancelled from Convoy SC 121, in which Bonneville was sunk (these convoys had several other Norwegian ships as well, follow the links for more information, inluding an analysis of U-boat operations in 4 eastbound convoys sailing around the same time). On March 10 an intense battle ensued between U-boats and escorts, resulting in the British destroyer Harvester being sunk by U-432, but the French corvette Aconit took revenge by sinking the boat (Harvester and Aconit had previously sunk U-444).

Meanwhile, several ships were torpedoed within the convoy, Brant County being one of them. She was bound for Newport with a general cargo as well as 670 tons explosives in No. 1 and No. 2 holds, and a large amount of carbide in No. 3 hold. When the torpedo detonated in the cargo of carbide in the early morning hours of March 11, it was immediately set on fire.

Of the 5 men on the bridge, 2nd Mate Granum, Steward Hansen and Helmsman Fjelle managed to get aft and lower themselves into the port lifeboat which had been launched by the 3rd mate, 2nd engineer and the donkeyman. The other 2 on the bridge died, the radio operator when he jumped overboard and disappeared, the other, the captain, died in the flames. The 3 stokers who were on duty in the engine room were killed (Jan de Greef, Ingvald Eggum and Michael Lehane), while 3rd Engineer Hjalmar Holthe managed to get on deck, but had been unable to stop the engine.

The 23 who had succeeded in getting in the port boat watched as crew and passengers struggled to get 2 rafts launched, and when the boat had drifted about 200 meters away the flames on board their ship reached the TNT, causing a huge explosion, sending pieces of metal and other debris over the area (damaging the U-boat which was still on the surface ?).

What follows is an excerpt from the Commodore's notes:
"03:55Z - Brant County (135) torpedoed 51 53N 28 40W. The ship fired two white rockets. Burst into flames, the fire was like an "inferno" and lit everything up like daylight. I could see the whole convoy and escorts ahead and on both wings.
04:13Z - W.T. message received "SSS de T.R. 135 Brant County torpedoed". (The operator who sent this message was a very brave, cool and gallant gentleman).
04:15Z - Brant County blew up with a tremendous explosion, throwing debris hundreds of feet into the air. (The scene was indescribable)."

The survivors were picked up half an hour later by the British Stuart Prince, another ship in the convoy. Stoker Ferdinand Olsen was badly burnt and died shortly thereafter. The survivors were landed in Liverpool on March 16, where the maritime hearings were held on March 23-1943, with the 2nd mate, the 2nd engineer, the 3rd engineer, Able Seaman Fjelle and Able Seaman Heimstad appearing.

*There's some disagreement here; Rohwer states that Brant County was torpedoed and sunk by U-86 (giving position as 52 05N 27 35W). Roger W. Jordan (Merchant Fleets 1939-1945) and Arnold Hague (The Allied Convoy System) both agree with my Norwegian sources, U-757, but more recent findings seem to support Rohwer's U-86 theory.

Crew List:
* Hjalmar Holthe is also listed for Norjerv and Vest.
This external page has excerpts from his diary describing the events surrounding the loss of Brant County, and also lists some of the other ships he sailed with - text in Norwegian.

Survivors
2nd Mate Oddvar Granum	3rd Mate Johan Johansen	Boatswain Hjalmar Kjellevold	Able Seaman Thorbjørn Olsen	Able Seaman Tarald Heimstad	Able Seaman Ingolf Fjelle
Able Seaman/Gunner Søren Trane	Ordinary Seaman Henry Watts (British)	Ordinary Seaman Kenneth Ballard (British)	2nd Engineer Lauritz Melkevik	3rd Engineer Hjalmar Holthe *	Assistant Karl Georgsen
Donkeyman Harald Ballovarre	Stoker Einar Christensen	Stoker Gunnar Nilsen	Stoker Catalino Sosa (Uruguay)	Trimmer Frederick Peters (British)	Steward Trygve Hansen
Cook Harald Kjeldstrøm	Mess Boy Leslie Hoven (British)	Gunner J. Pencott (British)	Corporal Jens Eilert Hansen Passenger
Casualties
† Captain Norvald Brevik	† 1st Mate Harald Thuestad	† Radio Operator Arne Bakke	† Carpenter Osvald Skårhaug	† Able Seaman Jan Gorrebeck (Belgian)	† Able Seaman Harald Skålnes
† Able Seaman Odd Jacobsen	† Able Seaman/Gunner Einar Terkelsen	† Able Seaman/Gunner Thorbjørn Leinhardt	† Ordinary Seaman Peder Pedersen	† Chief Engineer August Mjeldheim	† Donkeyman Ragnvald Pettersen
† Stoker Ingvald Eggum	† Stoker Michael Lehane * (Irish)	† Stoker Ferdinand Olsen	† Stoker Olav Hjelland Olsen	† Stoker Reinhardt Jensen	† Stoker Jan de Greef (Belgian)
† Trimmer Frank Logue** (British)	† Trimmer William Rogers** (British)	† Trimmer David Collins** (British)	† Engine Boy George Bernard James Kearney *** (Canadian)	† Cook Oskar Knobelauch	† Saloon Boy Harold Davis** (British)
† Saloon Boy Richard Aird Scott *** (Canadian)	† Gunner G. Matthews ** (British)	† Gunner C. Anderson ** (British)	† Gunner C. Craig ** (British)
Passengers who died
† 2nd Lieutenant Einar Leschly Jacobsen	† Sergeant Johan Ludvig Bechmann	† Sergeant Petter Bjerkelund	† Sergeant Trygve Bertram Bjørgum	† Sergeant Tellef Mykland Tellefsen	† Sergeant Reidar Wilhelm Andersen
† Sergeant Magnus Tøråsssen	† Soldier Arne Helgerød

* Michael Lehane is commemorated at the Halifax Memorial. Tore Setså, Norway has sent me a wonderful story about him, and I will attempt to add a summary of it here at a later time.

** Billy McGee, England has told me that the following 4 men from Brant County are commemorated at Tower Hill, Panel 18:
Trimmer David Collins (listed in Norwegian sources as Trimmer Daniel Collins), Trimmer Frank Logue from Port Glasgow, Renfrewshire, Trimmer William Rogers and Saloon boy Harold Davis. There's also a Seaman Arthur Gill from Hotwells, Bristol (age 18) - date of death given as Jan. 12-1942, so unless the date is an error something must have happened to him the year before Brant County was sunk. The initials for the British gunners were given as R Anderson, G. Craig in my Norwegian source, but this appears to be incorrect as there are 3 gunners with the above initials listed as having died on the date Brant County was sunk at the The Commonwealth War Graves Comm. website, who very likely were Brant County's gunners (see also a posting to my Ship Forum). Further details on all these men can be found by entering each name in the relevant search field on the The Commonwealth War Graves Comm. site, using WW II and 1943 in the other search fields to narrow down the search results.

*** The 2 Canadians can be found in the The Canadian Merchant Navy War Dead Database.

Related external links:
Some of the men who died - Gives home towns and birth dates etc. of 16 Norwegian crew members. This list is slightly different from mine above - for instance, the Donkeyman is named as Ragnvald Martin G. Kristiansen.

HX-228, 10 - 12 March 1943
U-757 | U-86

Operations Information for U-86

Back to Brant County on the "Ships starting with B" page.

Bergenske DS had another ship named Brant County in 1947, ex Nortraships' D/S Carl Oftedal which was taken over by Bergenske in 1946, renamed Brant County in 1947. Renamed Matang in 1954 (Halvorsen Shipping Co, Bergen), became German Hedwigshutte in 1956 (Hedwigshutte Kohlen & Kokswerke, Hamburg), Greek Saronis in 1960 (A.Lusi Ltd, London, later J.C.Carras & Sons, London, 1965). Broken up in Taiwan in 1968.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Bergenske, byen og selskapet" by Dag Bakka Jr., "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume I (Norwegian Maritime Museum) and misc. others for cross checking info. - ref My sources.