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M/T Fjordaas To Fjordaas on the "Ships starting with F" page.
He also sent the above picture showing his father (on the right) in front of the ship, and the next photo
Arne Aresen is No. 2 from the left in the back row - the others are unknown. Owner: Mørlands Tankrederi A/S Built by Deutsche Werke A/G, Kiel, Germany in 1931. Captain: Peder N. A. Saltnes Fjordaas was the only ship in the Mørland fleet to make it through the war. Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives: Please compare the above voyages with Arnold Hague's Voyage Record below.
(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database). Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each. Errors may exist, and some voyages are missing.
Her 1940 and 1941 voyages are listed on Page 1 and Page 2 of the archive documents. According to Arnold Hague, Fjordaas sailed in Convoy SC 50* from Sydney, C.B. to the U.K. on Oct. 17-1941. This convoy is not yet available among the SC convoys included in my Convoys section, but it will be added. The following month, she's listed as bound for New York in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 38*, which originated in Liverpool on Nov. 19 and dispersed on the 30th, Fjordaas arriving New York on Dec. 9. She headed back to the U.K. on Jan. 20-1942 in Convoy HX 171 from Halifax, subsequently returning to the U.S. with the westbound Convoy ON 71* (station 75), originating in Liverpool on Febr. 26, dispersed March 8, Fjordaas arriving Baytown March 22. In July that same year, we find her in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K Convoy SC 91. She's also listed on the original convoy form for the westbound Convoy ON 125 towards the end of the following month (station 82), but it looks like she must have returned (or probably did not join at all?), because when she was torpedoed on Sept. 11 she was in ON 127 (she could not have gone to the U.S. and back to the U.K. in time to join ON 127 on Sept. 4). Follow the links for further dates and cruising orders. She was hit amidships under the bridge, port side by a torpedo from U-218 (Becker) at 22:30 on Sept 10 (11?)-1942, 51 16N 29 08W, when in Convoy ON 127, as mentioned - date varies according to source and time zone used. Another torpedo from the same U-boat had barely missed. The crew got into 2* lifeboats while the captain, 1st Mate Arne Aresen and Chief Engineer Arne Hjalmar Olsen stayed on board to inspect the damages. The explosives had made a hole 30 x 60 ft and she was close to breaking in 2, but because of the special way she was built, with 4 tanks right next to each other, she stayed afloat. Further inspections showed extensive damages to the bridge section and instruments there, but the engine and steering mechanisms were intact, so the captain recalled the lifeboats at 02:00, and after the ship had been trimmed they returned to the U.K., arriving Clyde on Sept. 15, having sailed about 1000 n. miles.
George Monk, a visitor to my website has told me that the following men received ungazetted awards for services when the ship was torpedoed and damaged (his source: Seedies List of awards to the British Merchant Navy which includes awards to Allied merchant seamen): Several other Norwegian ships were torpedoed in this convoy, namely M/T Sveve, D/T Marit II, M/S Hindanger and M/T Daghild. Fjordaas was repaired at Smith's Dock in Newcastle and was ready to return to service in Dec.-1942. She's said to have rescued 17 men from an American ship in the Gulf of Mexico at some point in 1942 - exact date and name of ship not known. In Jan.-1943, she joined the westbound Convoy ON 159, serving as Escort Oiler. This convoy originated in Liverpool on Jan. 4, but it looks like Fjordaas joined from Londonderry, having sailed from there on Jan. 5 - see Page 3. The Commodore's narrative is also available for this convoy, for which Laurits Swenson acted as Commodore Vessel. With a cargo of Admiralty fuel, Fjordaas was scheduled to return to the U.K. with Convoy HX 225 from New York at the end of that month, but instead joined the next convoy on Febr. 8, HX 226 (again with Laurits Swenson as Commodore Vessel), and arrived Clyde on Febr. 23, Bowling the next day. It'll be noticed, when following the link to my page about this convoy, that she's named among the ships in the Advance Sailing Telegram for the Halifax section, but she did join from New York. By Apr. 6 that year she was back in New York, having previously arrived with Convoy ON 172* (convoy left Liverpool on March 9 and arrived New York on the 27th - Fjordaas again joined from Londonderry), joining Convoy HX 233, which arrived Liverpool on Apr. 21; Fjordaas, cargo of Admiralty fuel, stopped at Clyde that day. A little over a week later, she headed back across the Atlantic with the westbound Convoy ON 181, which originated in Liverpool on Apr. 30-1943; see also the Commodore's narrative and HMS Keppel's report. The Commodore says, "Fjordaas carried out the fuelling of the escorts very well under adverse weather conditions but she is too short and lively to make an efficient oiler". In Keppel's report, Fjordaas is mentioned under the heading "Oiling at sea". She started her return voyage to the U.K. already on May 19, joining Convoy HX 240 from New York. Her destination is given as Scapa, station 33, with arrival June 5. Fjordaas headed back to the U.S. again later that month with Convoy ON 190*, which originated in Liverpool on June 24 and arrived New York July 9, and on July 15-1943 she joined Convoy HX 248 from New York, but returned to port that same day, subsequently joining the next convoy on July 23, HX 249, station 92. (No reason is given for why she returned to New York from HX 248; A. Hague simply states that she broke down on sailing. The Commodore's report mentions a collision taking place, without naming the ships involved). She went back across the Atlantic in Aug.-1943 with the westbound Convoy ON 196* (originated in Liverpool Aug. 8, arrived New York Aug. 21), and at the end of that month we find her in station 43 of Convoy HX 254 from New York - her destination is given as Scapa, where she arrived Sept. 11 (see Page 4). She now appears in the westbound Convoy ON 204* (from Liverpool Sept. 28, to New York Oct. 15), returning to the U.K. in Convoy HX 262*, departing New York on Oct. 18. She arrived Clyde on Nov. 2, and from there she later joined the westbound Convoy ON 212, acting as escort oiler, destination New York, with arrival Dec. 4. As can be seen when following the link, the only other Norwegian ships in this convoy, apart from the escorting Eglantine, Rose and Potentilla, were Vav, Villanger and Spinanger. Fjordaas was scheduled for Convoy HX 274 from New York on Jan. 6-1944, but instead joined the next convoy on Jan. 13, HX 275, though returned to port, and her name does not show up again until Convoy HX 278 on Febr. 5. In March she joined the westbound Convoy ON 229*,which departed Liverpool on March 23 and arrived New York Apr. 7, with Acanthus and Eglantine among the escorts, then went back to the U.K. a few days later with Convoy HX 287. She subsequently joined the westbound Convoy ON 236* in May (from Liverpool May 11, to New York May 27; Fjordaas joined from Londonderry), and in June we find her in Convoy HX 296 from New York (having been cancelled from HX 294 earlier that month). Destination is given as Milford Haven and Portsmouth - see Page 5. In July she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 245*, again joining from Londonderry (convoy originated in Liverpool July 18, arrived New York Aug. 2). She returned in Convoy HX 303 with 16 other Norwegian ships, namely Tanafjord, Dalfonn, Noravind, Atlantic, Sommerstad, Skotaas, Geisha, Thorhild, Petter, Stirlingville, Rena, Para, Titanian, Mui Hock, Romulus and Norse Lady. Fjordaas joined this convoy from Halifax; her destination is given as Rosyth, where she arrived, via Loch Ewe and Methil Roads, on Aug. 30. At the end of Oct.-1944, she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 263*, which left Southend on Oct. 29 and arrived New York Nov. 15; Fjordaas joined from Clyde and arrived Boston Nov. 14, proceeding to New York the next day. From there, she subsequently joined Convoy HX 321 on Nov. 19, bound for Milford Haven and Swansea. She had time for one more Trans-Atlantic voyage before that year was over, and this was made in the westbound Convoy ON 271*, which sailed from Southend on Dec. 8 and arrived New York on the 28th; Fjordaas started out in Milford Haven Dec. 10. Fjordaas is also said to have served as oiler for allied patrol vessels in the Bay of Biscay(? (I'm not sure this can be correct) at some point of 1944, and also had on board a supply of depth charges in case escort vessels in the area were in need of them. Early in Jan.-1945, she's listed, with destination Devonport and Swansea, in the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 330, for which Topdalsfjord acted as Commodore Vessel. They both subsequently headed back in the other direction with the westbound ON 282* the following month (from Liverpool Febr. 1, to New York Febr. 19), and Fjordaas went back to the U.K. again shortly thereafter in Convoy HX 340*, which left New York on Febr. 23 and arrived Liverpool March 10; Fjordaas stopped at Clyde that day, and from there she later joined the westbound Convoy ON 292* (originated in Southend on March 22, arrived New York Apr. 8). Further voyages are listed on Page 6 and Page 7 of the archive documents.
Related external links: Back to Fjordaas on the "Ships starting with F" page. Arnt J. Mørland, Arendal had another Fjordaas post war, delivered in 1957, 22 088 gt. Later named Ronastar 1964 for Einar Saanum, Mandal. This ship had an explosion on board while cleaning tanks in Rotterdam on June 15-1965, with the loss of 16 men. She sank and was subsequently condemned, but was later raised and repaired, entering service as bulk carrier Condo in 1966, managed by Arnt J. Mørland, Arendal. Later names: Herwang 1972 for owners in Kristiansand, Norway, then Italian Falcone 1974 - sold for breaking up in 1983. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, and misc. (ref. My sources).
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