D/S Fanefjeld

To Fanefjeld on the "Ships starting with F" page.

Casualty List

Final Fate - 1942:

Fanefjeld had arrived Reykjavik from the UK on March 31-1942 with Convoy UR 17, then left for Bildudalur (Iceland) on Apr. 3, where she discharged about 300 tons salt before leaving for Isafjord at 19:00 on Apr. 8, but never arrived at her destination. On board were a Norwegian crew of 18, 1 British, 2 Canadians, and 1 Swedish, as well as the Icelandic pilot and an Icelandic passenger. On Apr. 10 a body floating in a life buoy marked Fanef... was found by a fishing vessel about 6-7 miles west of Ørnundafjord and taken to Flateyri, the body wearing a uniform with a red anchor and a crown as well as the word "Norway" on the sleeve, so it was assumed to be that of one of the gunners. The following morning, Apr. 11, 2 vessels were sent out from Flateyri to conduct a search, but these returned without having found any trace of the missing ship. Vessels from Isafjord and the surrounding districts also came up empty handed.

It appears Fanefjeld was assumed attacked by aircraft, or had struck a mine, but according to Roger Jordan's "The World's Merchant Fleets" she was torpedoed by U-252 (Lerchen) and sunk northwest of Iceland on April 10-1942 (he says 25 died). Jürgen Rohwer (who says she was built in 1920), agrees with the U-boat and location but says it happened on the 9th at 10:04, German time, adding in a footnote that U-252 reported the sinking of a steamer off the northwest tip of Iceland.

An Icelandic visitor to my website has given me the name of the Icelandic casualty (it included Icelandic letters which don't come out correctly on this site, so I've "translated" it). Sigurdur Oddsson, born 24.04.1874, Pétursey, Meardal - died aboard Fanefeld 09.04.43.

Casualty List - No Survivors:
* There's a Gunvald Bergsnes listed as escaping from Norway with M/B Mars, said to have died later on a merchant ship.

Casualties:
† Captain Haakon Næss	† 1st Mate Peder Pedersen	† 2nd Mate Frithjof Knutsen	† Radio Operator Torstein Eriksen	† Able Seaman Gunvald Bergsnes *	† Able Seaman Arthur Bergesen
† Able Seaman Alf Strøm	† Able Seaman Ludvig Kristoffersen	† Able Seaman/Gunner Ingolf Johansen	† Able Seaman/Gunner Sigurd Nilsen	† Ordinary Seaman Georg van Meter * (Canadian)	† Ordinary Seaman Johnny Kristiansen
† 1st Engineer Petter Jensen	† 2nd Engineer Ludvig Dale	† Donkeyman Egil Annaniassen	† Stoker Einar Henriksen	† Stoker Fredrik Lundmann	† Stoker Frank Strandberg (Swedish)
† Trimmer Johan Olsen Imøy	† Trimmer Glen Swenson * (Canadian)	† Steward Adolf Pedersen	† Mess Boy Patrick McLean (British)	† Pilot Sigurdur Oddsson (Icelandic)	† Passenger Gudmundur Betursson (Icelandic)

* The 2 Canadians are included in the Canadian Merchant Navy War Dead database (ship is erroneously spelt "Fanejeld"). According to this page on the Commonwealth War Graves Comm. website, the 20 year old G. van Meter is commemorated on Panel 22 at the Halifax Memorial, as is the 22 year old Glen Swenson (all these links are external).

Related external links:
Stavern commemorations - Norwegians only are commemorated at this Memorial for Seamen in Stavern, Norway.

U-252

Back to Fanefjeld on the "Ships starting with F" page.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Norwegian Maritime Museum, Volume I, and misc. others as named within the above text - ref. My sources.