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M/S Danio To Danio on the "Ships starting with D" page. Manager: Clemeth Dann, Oslo Delivered in March-1924 from William Hamilton & Co. Ltd., Port Glasgow as Baron Dalmeny to H. Hogarth & Sons Ltd., Glasgow. Purchased by Dann's Skibs-A/S (Clemeth Dann), Oslo in Apr.-1937 and renamed Danio. Captain: ? Hagvoll, later Hans Birger Hjertaker (from July-1945, previously Danio's 1 mate).
(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database). Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each. Compare Arnold Hague's info with these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Some of the info in this narrative is based on 1st Mate (later Captain) Hans Birger Hjertaker's story. He had served as 3rd mate, later as 1st mate on M/S Margrethe Bakke early in the war. He joined Danio as 3rd mate in the fall of 1940, but became 1st mate later that year. His story can be found in the book "Sjøfolk i krig" by Leif M. Bjørkelund, which is based on interviews with seamen 50 years after the war, and includes many interesting personal stories (used for this site with the author's permission). It will be noticed that some of the dates, sequence of events and facts in his story do not quite match up with the information found in her Voyage Record, but 50 years after the war, it would be understandable if the facts might have gotten a little mixed up. Danio was mostly trading between U.S./Canada and the U.K. from 1940 until she entered supply service for the North Africa front in 1942. She's listed with several other Norwegian ships in Convoy OB 169 in June-1940. This convoy, which had originated in Liverpool on June 17, was disperesd on June 22, Danio arriving her destination New York independently on July 5. According to Arnold Hague she made an independent voyage back to the U.K. later that month, then joined Convoy OB 207 at the beginning of Sept.-1940, arriving Windsor, N.S. independently on Sept. 15, the convoy having been dispersed on Sept. 6. The Norwegian Hild, Samnanger, Snefjeld and Thyra are also listed - ref. external link provided in the table above. Danio headed back to the U.K. the following month with Convoy HX 86 from Halifax - follow the link for more convoy information; several Norwegian ships took part. Her next Trans-Atlantic voyage commenced at the end of Dec.-1940, when she joined Convoy OB 267, which had originated in Liverpool on Dec. 30 and dispersed on Jan. 2-1941, Danio arriving New York independently on Jan. 16-1941. Cetus, Charles Racine and Thode Fagelund are also listed in this convoy, available via the link in the table above. Danio returned to the U.K. again in Convoy HX 109 from Halifax. As will be seen when clicking on the link to my page about this convoy, only the Bermuda portion is available there, but please see the external link provided in the table above for more complete information. Other Norwegian ships in this convoy, which left Halifax on Febr. 13-1941, were Alaska, Augvald (sunk, follow link for details) and Vivi. In Apr.-1941 A. Hague has included her in Convoy OB 316, together with the Norwegian Annavore, Sydhav and Taranger. Danio's destination is given as Bermuda, where she arrived independently on May 16, the convoy having been dispersed on May 5. Towards the end of the following month she joined the Bermuda portion of Convoy HX 135, bound for Liverpool with a cargo of sugar, and in Aug.-1940 we find her, again with several other Norwegian ships, in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 10, leaving Liverpool on Aug. 27. Danio, sailing in station 12, was bound for New York, where she arrived independently on Sept. 15 (convoy had been dispersed on the 11th). She headed back to the U.K. again at the end of that month with the slow Convoy SC 47, which departed Sydney, C.B. on Sept. 29-1941 and also included Berto, Bestik, Don, Fido, Heimgar, Ingertre, Marit II, Petter II, (returned), Spes, Veni, and Victo, while the Norwegian corvette Eglantine is named among the escorts - again, see the link provided in the table above. She later joined Convoy OS 11 in Nov.-1941, voyaging from Clyde to Freetown and Takoradi with war stores. Other Norwegian ships taking part were Dagrun, Tigre, Fana and Elg. In Jan.-1942 we find her going in the other direction with Convoy SL 98, which departed Freetown on Jan. 15-1942 and arrived Liverpool on Febr. 5. Danio's voyage is given as Lagos-Belfast, cargo of cocoa. Vest had also started out in this convoy, but returned to port. Both these convoys are available via the links provided in the table above. In the spring of 1942 she had taken on a cargo of general, war materials and ammunition in New York, having previously crossed the Atlantic with the westbound Convoy ON 68*, which had originated in Liverpool on Febr. 19-1942 and dispered on March 9, Danio arriving New York, via Halifax, on March 15 (Aun, Carrier, Evanger, Ingertre, Rio Verde and Tyr are also listed - the latter was sunk). According to 1st Mate Hjertaker Danio left New York alone for Suez in Apr.-1942 (however, it looks like this is an error, she left on May 8), arriving Cape Town in June, then continued to Durban before joining a convoy for Suez in July (again, it appears some of the facts have gotten somewhat mixed up here - see the Voyage Record as well as the archive documents). Once her cargo had been unloaded she returned to the U.S. via the same route, arriving Baltimore in Nov(?). She then loaded General Grant tanks, jeeps, locomotives, aircraft, ammunition and general before proceeding in convoy to Christobal via Cuba, passing the Panama Canal in Dec. and then continued alone. She proceeded to Durban to join a convoy there, arriving Suez in Febr.-1943 (Voyage Record says March-1943). After cargo had been unloaded she took on board some kind of salt in the Suez Canal, before heading to the Red Sea for a cargo of ore for South Africa. On July 27-1943 she was back in Aden, loaded a cargo of coal and continued to Suez. The 1st mate says she was part of a convoy that arrived Salerno on Sept. 16-1943 (a week after the main allied attack on Italy started) and experienced the intense air raids there for several days, and also in Naples where he says she arrived on Oct. 13, but escaped both ordeals unharmed. Naples had been conquered by the allies on Oct. 1, but there were still some air attacks out in the bay. There's mention of her witnessing an American ship being hit by a bomb and sunk on Oct. 23. This may have been the James Iredell mentioned for Oct. 23 in "The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II" by Robert J. Cressman, ref. link to "Hyperwar" below. Hjertaker says Danio departed Naples on Oct. 28. (Compare the details in this paragraph with Page 3 - keep in mind that some voyages could be missing in this document). According to Arnold Hague, she made a voyage from Bone to Barrow with Convoy SL 140 / MKS 31 the following month, cargo of iron ore. The SL convoy had originated in Freetown on Nov. 12-1943, and joined up with MKS 31 from Gibraltar on the 24th, with which Danio joined, together with the Norwegian Slemmestad and Lynghaug - ref. link in the table above for more on the combined convoy. Note that the Gibraltar portion is also available on my own site at MKS 31, and as will be seen when scrolling down to the second table on that page, Danio had arrived Gibraltar from Bone with the Port Said portion. After having taken part in the Italy campaigns, Danio re-entered North Atlantic service in Dec.-1943, joining the westbound Convoy ONS 25*, together with Brønnøy, Minerva, Sommerstad, and Veni. This convoy originated Liverpool on Dec. 15-1943 and arrived Halifax on Jan. 3-1944, but Danio was bound for New York, where she arrived on Jan. 6. After several months at a yard in Boston, where she had arrived on Jan. 10-1944, she headed to the Dominican Republic for a cargo of sugar for the U.K., joining Convoy HX 294 at the beginning of June. She crossed the Atlantic again at the end of July, having joined the westbound Convoy ON 246*, which originated in Liverpool on July 25-1944 and also included Abraham Lincoln, Alaska, Atlantic, Brimanger, Dalfonn, Dageid, Fernwood, Ivaran, James Hawson, Kaldfonn, Leiv Eiriksson, Ørnefjell, Petter, Skotaas, Strinda, Thorhild, Tiradentes, Toronto, Vardefjell and Velox. In Oct.-1944 she was in Greenock, Scotland, having arrived from the U.S. with Convoy HX 309, then travelled to Pugwash, Canada to pick up a cargo of lumber for the U.K., sailing in the westbound Convoy ONS 34*, together with Dagrun and Lago. Danio arrived Pugwash on Nov. 2, having detached fro the convoy the day before. Dec./Jan. saw her in Leith unloading the lumber, having arrived the U.K. with the Sydney, C. B. portion of the slow Convoy SC 162, then back to New York in ballast in the westbound Convoy ONS 40*, which originated in Liverpool on Jan. 12-1945, again with several Norwegian ships in its ranks, namely Iron Baron, Lago, Norvarg, Orwell, Romulus, Solstad, Sommerstad (returned), Vera and Vinga. Danio arrived New York on Febr. 2 where she took on board a cargo for Liverpool according to the 1st mate, but as can be seen in the Voyage Record, she first headed to San Juan, Macoris and Gitmo, before returning to New York and Boston in Apr.-1945, then on to Halifax where she joined the slow Convoy SC 174 on Apr. 28 in order to sail to Liverpool - ref. external link provided in the table above, where the Norwegian Gausdal, Hilda Knudsen, Norse Lady, Para, Peik, Stirlingville, Veni and Vera are also listed. Danio, sailing in station 22 with a cargo of sugar, arrived Liverpool on May 14; in other words, VE Day was celebrated while at sea. At the end of that month she headed back to Montreal, Canada (no convoy necessary this time!), where she loaded a general cargo for Norway. According to the 1st mate she arrived Oslo at the beginning of July (as the first vessel from Canada after the war had ended), however, this date does not quite agree with the information found on Page 4 of the documents from the Norwegian archives, though it's possible some voyages are missing there. H. Hjertaker took over as captain of the ship at this time. Danio subsequently returned to Canada to pick up more lumber for the U.K., and then made a few trips for The Norwegian State, making, among others, a voyage to West Africa for coffee, cocoa beans and nuts, which were discharged in Sandefjord, Fredrikstad and Oslo, Norway (according to H. Hjertaker). Page 4 (link above) and Page 5 of the documents received from the National Archives of Norway have more information on her 1945 voyages, as well as on some 1946 voyages.
Sold on May 12-1948 to D/S Patria A/S (Oluf Skjelbred Knudsen), Kristiansand. In liner service Chile-U.S East Coast. To D/S A/S Patria II P/R on Dec. 28-1948. Purchased by P/R Canasta, Haugesund on Aug. 26-1950, (H. Krohn Brekke) and renamed Canasta. Sold on March 7-1952 to Partsrederei M/S Michael (Holsten Reederei GmbH), and registered under German flag as Michael. Company name changed to Holsten Reederei, Lenth & Co. in 1956. Sold in Oct.-1958 to Eisen & Metal K. G. Lehr & Co., Hamburg for breaking up. Resold in Febr.-1960 to Eiich Drechser. Returned to Eisen & Metal in May-1960 and broken up. External links related to the text on this page: Back to Danio on the "Ships starting with D" page. Clemeth Dann later had another ship by this name, ex Liberty Ship Nathaniel Alexander, built 1942, 7177 gt. Became Norwegian Solfa in Aug.-1947 (H. Rich. Aass, Oslo), from 1948 managed by Einar Rasmussen & Alfred I. Thommesen, Kristiansand S. Became Norse Lady for Odd Godager in 1950, then Danio for Clemeth Dann, Oslo in 1953. Sailed as Troyan under Lebanese flag from 1962 (Wigham Richardson & Co, London). On a voyage Kosseir-Whampoa with cargo of phosphate she arrived Colombo on Aug. 1-1967, leaking and flooded with hull plating fractures. Repaired and continued voyage. Broken up in Singapore in March-1968, having arrived on Oct. 29-1967. (This info found in "Liberty Ships in Peacetime, and their Contribution to World Shipping History" I. G. Steward, 1992). The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Våre motorskip", Leif M. Bjørkelund & E. H. Kongshavn, "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøfolk i krig", Leif M. Bjørkelund, and misc. - ref. My sources.
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