D/S Bruse Jarl - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Misc. War Voyages:

In Febr.-1940, Bruse Jarl is listed in Convoy HGF 18 from Gibraltar, bound for London, station 74 - follow link for more convoy info (there's a note next to her name in the original document, giving the captain's name as Lossius at that time - possibly the same as Morten Lossius of Tordenskjold?). As can be seen, other Norwegian ships listed in this convoy are Garonne and Temeraire. The following month Bruse Jarl was in the Gibraltar convoy OGF 21, a combination of Convoys OB 103GF and OA 103GF, which joined up on March 5-1940, both having departed the U.K. on March 3. Bruse Jarl's destination is given as Thesalonika, station 85. The Norwegian Bur, Einar Jarl and Temeraire are also listed. (Follow the external links provided at the end of this text for info on the OB convoys).

A French visitor to my website has told me that she was seized off Tunisia by French patrol boats on Apr. 10-1940 (the day after the German invasion of Norway). Ordered to Bizerta, but released a few days later. On Apr. 18 we find her returning to the U.K. with Convoy HGF 27 from Gibraltar, together with the Norwegian Harpefjell. Bruse Jarl was bound for London, station 63.

According to the first external website that I've linked to at the end of this text, she was in Convoy SLS 56 from Freetown in Nov./Dec.-1940, bound for Liverpool in station 56 of the convoy. The Norwegian Ferm, Sandar and Sirehei are also listed.

Towards the end of Febr.-1941 she shows up in the Gibraltar-U.K. Convoy HG 54, bound for Liverpool with fruit, then in May she sailed in Convoy HG 61, bound for Barrow with iron ore and esparto, station 52 (right behind Torfinn Jarl). Captain's name is given as B. Pedersen on that occasion.

She's also listed in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 10, which left Liverpool on Aug. 27-1941. In Nov. that year we find her in station 93 of the westbound Convoy ON 37, leaving Liverpool on Nov. 15 (Bruse Jarl joined from Aultbea) - several Norwegian ships took part in both these convoys. She was scheduled to return with the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 60 the following month, but instead joined the next convoy, SC 61, cargo of flour for London.

In March-1942 she's listed among the ships in the Slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 74, cargo of flour for Leith, station 32, and in June that year she sailed in Convoy SC 86, cargo of lumber for London. A couple of months later, at the end of Aug.-1942, we find her in Convoy SC 98 (having been cancelled from SC 97) - follow links for further dates and convoy details.

Later on she appears to have been mostly in service in the Mediterranean (with ammunition), as were Atle Jarl, Tore Jarl and Torfinn Jarl (Bruse Jarl and Tore Jarl had to continue with transport to civilians in Italy and Greece untill well into the fall of 1945. Some of the officers didn't get to see their families until the spring of 1946 - this was not unusual, of course).

Bruse Jarl shows up in Convoy MKS 11 in Apr.-1943; left the convoy at Oran. Torfinn Jarl and Evviva are also included, both leaving the convoy at Algiers.

The following month she was in Algiers loading a cargo of 500 tons bombs, 700 tons aviation fuel and 600 tons general for Bizerte. There, she was on stand-by order to depart on short notice. Finally, on June 13 orders came to proceed the next morning to Pantellaria, which had fallen on the 11th. The destroyer Petard was escort. Due to continuous air attacks on the harbour she had to cruise around outside for over 2 days, with gunners on 24 hours duty. On the 2nd night 2 large bombs fell close to the ship, causing some damage, and the next morning 6 aircraft came in low over the island, damaging the destroyer which had to return to base, leaving Bruse Jarl to fend for herself while waiting for a new escort. In the morning of June 16 she anchored up outside Pantellaria harbour, and military personnel came on board, predicting that she would probably be sunk one way or another, either by aircraft or U-boats which were operating in the area, and unloading of her cargo seemed hopeless at that point. The new escort finally came and signalled for Bruse Jarl to proceed to Suss, and all on board were rather disappointed as they had wanted to have the honour of being the first allied ship to deliver war materials to the first fallen European post of the Axis. But later they learned the reason for their retreat; the preparations for landings at Sicily were well underway (invaded July 10), and no-one, least of all the Royal Navy had the time to worry about Pantellaria at that point (summary of the mate, Leif Hassel's story - found in "Menn uten medaljer" - he died in 1979. Another mate on board was Martinius Myklevoll, previously of D/S Cadmus, which had been torpedoed and sunk on July 1-1942).

Going back to the first external link below, Bruse Jarl is listed in Convoy OS 70/KMS 44 in March-1944, voyaging from Milford to Bone in station 82 - follow the link to the OS convoys for more details.

POST WAR:

Sold in Aug.-1950 to Hamburg-London Linie (A Kirsten & Co.), Hamburg, renamed Cordelia, delivered on Aug. 15. Sold in 1960 to Tramppilaiva O/Y (manager J Konkola), Helsinki, Finland, renamed Tarvo. Sold in Febr.-1963 to Rudolph Harmstorf, Lübeck, Germany, to be broken up.

Related external links:
SL Convoys - There's also a section on the OS and OS/KMS convoys, as well as the OB convoys. Bruse Jarl is listed in Convoy OB 103GF / OGF 21, SLS 56, and OS 70/KMS 44.

Operation Corkscrew - Pantelleria 11th June 1943

Lillesand Sjømannsforening's website (Lillesand Seamen's Association) has a picture of this ship, along with pictures of several other Norwegian ships.