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D/S Einar Jarl To Einar Jarl on the "Ships starting with E" page. Manager: Det Nordenfjeldske Dampskibsselskab, Trondheim Delivered from Fredrikstad Mek. Verksted, Fredrikstad, Norway in Aug.-1921 as Einar Jarl (235) to Det Nordenfjeldske Dampskibsselskab, Trondheim. 265' x 42' x 20', triple exp. steam engine by the yard, 1095 ihp. Sister ship of Orm Jarl (II) and Ottar Jarl. Captain: Johan Herfjord
Einar Jarl is listed among the ships in the Gibraltar convoy OGF 21 in March-1940, 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. Einar Jarl's destination is given as Chalkis, station 55. The Norwegian Bur, Bruse Jarl and Temeraire are also listed. The external links provided below have more info on the OB convoys. Towards the end of the following month we find her in station 65 of Convoy HGF 28 from Gibraltar to the U.K. She was 1 of 5 Norwegian ships in that convoy, the others being Sevilla, Kosmos II, Stalheim and Bur. She was scheduled for Convoy HX 73 from Halfiax to the U.K. in Sept.-1940, but did not sail, and instead joined the next convoy, HX 74, cargo of pulp for London, station 23. In Jan.-1941 she was scheduled for Convoy HX 102, but cancelled and joined the slow Convoy SC 20 on Jan. 22, cargo of pit props for Hull. Related external links: See also this
Einar Jarl departed Hull Roads in convoy in the morning of March 13-1941, bound for Halifax via Methil and Loch Ewe in order to join an Atlantic convoy (this would probably have been Convoy OB 299, which left Liverpool on March 19-1941, and for which she's listed as scheduled at the first external website about the OB convoys above). The crew consisted of 22 men and 2 English Army soldiers who were to accompany them on the coastal voyage. She arrived Methil in the afternoon of March 14, then departed in coastal Convoy EN 86 A in the afternoon of the 17th. She was just passing Firth of Forth when an explosion occurred in the forward part of the ship at 20:50 that evening and she started to sink, listing to starboard (in other words, she never made it to the OB convoy mentioned). The men went to the starboard boat and by the time the boat was on the water the rail of the ship was level with the surface of the sea, so they had to push off immediately. Einar Jarl sank by the bow in about 5 minutes. A Greek stoker was missing; they remained in the area for about half an hour, but could not find him. He had last been seen on his way to his cabin by Trimmer Øien, presumably to fetch something. The survivors were rescued by D/S Medway Coast at 21:45. This ship was bound for Aberdeen and the survivors were landed there the next day, March 18 and were accommodated at the Seamen's Home and a hotel before continuing to Glasgow where the maritime hearings were held on March 25-1941 with the captain, the 2nd mate, the 1st engineer, Able Seaman Gjærde (helmsman) and Trimmer Øien appearing. At first it was thought an air attack was to blame (torpedo), but neither the British destroyer Westminster (escort) nor other ships in the convoy agreed with this theory. It was assumed the cause of the explosion was a drifting mine.
Related external link: Back to Einar Jarl on the "Ships starting with E" page. Nordenfjeldske's other ships by this name (info from "Nordenfjeldske - 1857-1985", by Finn R. Hansen): The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Nordenfjeldske - 1857-1985", by Finn R. Hansen, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume I (Norwegian Maritime Museum) - ref. My sources.
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