M/T Caledonia - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

M/T Caledonia

To Caledonia on the "Ships starting with C" page.

Crew List

Owner: Lorentzen's Skibs-A/S
Manager: Lorentzen Rederi & Co., Oslo
Tonnage: 9892 gt, 5901 net, 14 825 tdwt.
Call Sign: LJCO.

Built by Deutsche Werft AG, Betrieb Finkenwärder, Hamburg in 1936.

Captain: Ragnvald Andresen

Some Convoy Voyages – 1940-1941:

There's a Caledonia mentioned in a report for Convoy ON 25 (the last convoy from the U.K. to Norway before the Germans invaded), but I believe this was the Swedish Caledonia.

In the spring of 1940 Caledonia is listed in Convoy OA 140, which left Southend on May 2 and joined up with Convoy OB 140 on the 5th, the combined convoy forming OG 28, which arrived Gibraltar on May 10. Caledonia, however, was bound for Texas City, so must have left the convoy to proceed to her destination. She returned to the U.K. the following month with Convoy HX 48 (listed in the Bermuda portion), bound for Milford Haven with diesel oil, station 26. In July-1940 she joined Convoy OB 187, which left Liverpool on July 21, dispersed on the 25th. She was scheduled to return to the U.K. in Aug. with Convoy HX 66 (Bermuda portion), but did not sail - the Norwegian Norne was sunk in this convoy. Caledonia is also mentioned in the Bermuda portion of Convoy HX 67 later that month, but again did not sail. The next eastbound convoy I have her in is Convoy HX 82 in Oct.-1940.

In Febr.-1941 she joined Convoy OB 291, which left Liverpool on Febr. 27-1941 and dispersed on March 3. Her destination is given as Aruba. The external website that I've linked to below has more on the OA and OB convoys. She was scheduled to return with Convoy HX 120 in Apr.-1941, but instead joined the next convoy about a week later, HX 121, and this was to be her last voyage.

Related external link:
OA convoys and OB convoys - As will be seen, Caledonia appears in the OA and OB convoys mentioned above.

Final Fate - 1941:

Caledonia left Aruba on March 30-1941 with 13 745 tons of diesel oil and fuel oil for Clyde, via Halifax for convoy. Arrived Halifax on Apr. 9, where her degaussing cable was renewed and minor repairs undertaken. Departed Halifax in station 31 of Convoy HX 121 on Apr. 16 (see link above). Torpedoed and sunk by U-96 (Lehmann-Willenbrock) on April 28-1941, position 60 03N 16 16W (northwest of the Hebrides). The torpedo hit in the engine room, port side, killing 7 men. The port lifeboat was destroyed, the engine stopped and she started to sink by the stern. The 24 who had managed to launch the starboard lifeboat desperately tried to save 5 of their shipmates who had tried to jump from the ship and into the lifeboat together with the captain, but all except the captain had missed the boat and were helplessly drifting into the burning inferno around the nearby torpedoed British M/T Oilfield (station 21, 47 died). The rescue effort had to be given up because of the intense heat of the flames, and the 5 perished.

The survivors were picked up 2 1/2 hours later by the rescue vessel Zaafaran and landed in Gourock on May 1, continuing to Glasgow that same day. 12 had died out of a crew of 35 + 2 gunners. HX 121 arrived Liverpool on May 3-1941.

"Convoy Rescue Ships 1940-1945" by Arnold Hague agrees that Zaafaran picked up 25 survivors of Caledonia's 37 crew. Zaafaran also picked up 97 survivors from the 98 crew and passengers of the British Port Hardy (also hit by U-96). M/T Oilfield is not mentioned in that account, but the British tanker Capulet is; she had been torpedoed about 3 hours earlier that day by U-552 (Arnold Hague's "The Allied Convoy System", gives U-512), broke her back and caught fire. 9 died out of 44 crew, gunners and passengers. 17 were rescued by Zaafaran, while the destroyer Douglas probably picked up the rest before shelling the wreck. Rohwer says the abandoned wreck of Capulet was sunk on May 2 by U-201. He adds that from the convoy commodore's report it's clear that Oilfield, Caledonia and Port Hardy were hit in the same attack by U-96, the Port Hardy being struck by chance after the torpedo missed the intended target.

The maritime hearings were held in Glasgow on May 9-1941 with Captain Andresen, the 1st engineer, the 3rd engineer, the 2nd mate, and Able Seaman Struck (helmsman) appearing.

Crew List:

Survivors
Captain Ragnvald Andresen	1st Mate Aksel E. Svendsen	2nd Mate Ragnar Silkebakken	Boatswain Johannes Ellingsen	Able Seaman Alf Kjærbo Paulsen	Able Seaman Rudolf Kverndokken
Ordinary Seaman Normann Christoffersen	Ordinary Seaman Hans Olsen	Ordinary Seaman Einar Kolstad	Ordinary Seaman Georg Jensen	Ordinary Seaman Johan R. Stegane	Ordinary Seaman Ivar Jensen
1st Engineer Erling Johan Gottlieb	3rd Engineer Erling Gjessing	Assistant Mads Mathisen	Mechanic Henry Hvitsten	Oiler Bendix Larsen	Engine Boy Arne Struck
Steward Halvdan Hansen	Cook Jørgen Otterbeck	Galley Boy Donald Brown (British)	Mess Boy Jens Jensen	Gunner Name unknown (British)	Gunner Name unknown (British)
		+ 1 more survivor?
Casualties
† 3rd Mate Hartmann Jacobsen *	† Carpenter John Ugelstad *	† Able Seaman Kåre Henriksen *	† Able Seaman Leif Braaten *	† 2nd Engineer Henrik Hem	† Electrician Hans Berg
† Mechanic Harry Karlson	† Pump Man Per Berg	† Oiler Hagen Hansen	† Oiler Salve Salvesen	† Oiler Thorleif Eiken *	† Oiler Alf Th. Salvesen

* These were the men who tried to jump into the lifeboat with the captain, but ended up in the water.

Related external links:
Stavern commemorations

U-96 | Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock

Back to Caledonia on the "Ships starting with C" page.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume I (Norwegian Maritime Museum), and misc. others as named within text above for cross checking info. - ref My sources.