M/T Garonne

To Garonne on the "Ships starting with G" page.

Manager: Fearnley & Eger, Oslo Tonnage: 7113 gt Built in Copenhagen 1931.	Source: Roger W. Jordan collection.
The next 2 pictures were kindly provided by Historical Department, MAN B&W Diesel, Copenhagen. Their representative says that their museum (external link) has models of some ships.

Misc. War Voyages – 1940-1943:

In Febr.-1940, Garonne is listed in the Gibraltar-U.K. Convoy HG 18F. Other Norwegian ships were Temeraire and Bruse Jarl. Later that month, Garonne can be found going in the other direction with Convoy OB 98. Her destination is given as Constanza and she had station 73 of the convoy, which joined up with an OA convoy of the same number to form the Gibraltar Convoy OG 20F (arrived Gibraltar on March 4 - see also the section listing ships in all OG convoys). Towards the end of March-1940 we find her in station 74 of Convoy HG 24 from Gibraltar; her destination was Manchester on that occasion, and it looks like she was the only Norwegian ship in this convoy. She subsequently joined Convoy OB 133, which left Liverpool on Apr. 20 and joined up with the OA convoy of the same number on Apr. 22 to form the Gibraltar bound Convoy OG 27F. In May she joined Convoy HG 31, leaving Gibraltar on May 23-1940. She was bound for Swansea, cargo of benzine, station 32. The Norwegian Ørnefjell is also listed. The following month we find her, with destination Aruba, in Convoy OB 167 (left Liverpool on June 13-1940, dispersed on the 17th). The extrnal site that I've linked to below has more on the OB convoys.

In Aug.-1940 she sailed in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 63, bound for Clyde with a cargo of gasoline (see also HX 57).

Towards the end of that year she's listed, with destination Aruba, in Convoy OB 263, leaving Liverpool on Dec. 23, dispersed on the 27th - again see the links below.

In Jan./Febr.-1941 she was in Convoy HX 106 (having been cancelled from HX 104). Ran aground at the inlet to the Thames on Febr. 23-1941. The destroyer Woolston stayed nearby, but due to the danger of German air attack she was also given aircraft protection the next morning while a tug was working to get her refloated, and she continued up the Thames on Febr. 25. The following month she's listed, with destination Curacao, in Convoy OB 299, which left Liverpool on March 19-1941 - ref. external links already mentioned.

She's shown as sailing in Convoy HX 125 in May-1941, bound for Manchester with a cargo of gasoline in station 63 of the A section of the convoy. She then joined convoy OB 329, leaving Liverpool on May 31, dispersed on June 5. Her destination on that occasion is given as New York, and she was scheduled to return to the U.K. in Convoy HX 137 the following month, but instead joined the next convoy, HX 138, bound for Milford Haven, then Southampton. In Sept.-1941 we find her in station 62 of Convoy HX 150, along with the Norwegian Fenris (83), Solfonn (44), Havkong (84), Heina (64), Thorshavet (33), Topdalsfjord (34), Varanger (66?) and Braganza (66?). The following month she went in the other direction with the westbound Convoy ON 26, which left Liverpool on Oct. 14. Garonne's destination is given as Halifax, and she had station 32. She must have returned to the U.K. shortly thereafter*, because early in Dec. that year she's listed as bound for Galveston in the westbound Convoy ON 44*.

* In fact, the external site that I've linked to below has her in Convoy HX 158, which left Halifax on Nov. 3-1941 and arrived Liverpool on the 18th. She's not included on my own page about HX 158, but my information is incomplete.

She's also listed as being in Convoy HX 173 in Febr.-1942, along with several other Norwegian ships, returning later that month with the westbound Convoy ON 71*, bound for Baytwon.

Collided with (run into by) a British ship in convoy in 1942; date and identity of the other ship not known, but it may have been(?) while in Convoy HX 185 in Apr.-1942, when she collided with Manchester Division. Garonne had a cargo of aviation fuel and the other vessel is said to have been loaded with TNT, so the results could have been disasterous, but the point of impact was in the bow on both ships. The British ship had to proceed to New Foundland while Garonne continued to Swansea where she underwent repairs for 7 weeks.

Towards the end of June that same year she's listed as bound for New York in the westbound Convoy ON 107*. In Sept. we find her in HX 206 (diesel oil for Belfast, station 94), returning to New York later that month with the westbound Convoy ON 133*. New Years Eve was spent while in Convoy HX 221, which left New York on Dec. 29-1942 and arrived Liverpool on Jan. 14-1943. Destination for Garonne is given as Scapa, and she had a cargo of diesel oil, sailing in station 92. She returned to New York at the beginning of the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 164, and was scheduled to go back to the U.K. at the end of Febr.-1943 with Convoy HX 228 (in which Brant County was sunk), but did not sail.

More details on all the other Norwegian ships mentioned here can be found with the help of the alphabet index at the end of this page.

Torpedoed - 1943:

Hit by a torpedo from aircraft and damaged while in Convoy KMF 11* (according to "Nortraships flåte") shortly after midnight on March 23-1943, just outside Oran while waiting f. o. to go in (the British troop transport Windsor Castle was sunk in this attack). At the time Garonne had P38 aircraft on her decks in addition to a cargo of diesel and fuel oil from New York. They were later told by shore authorities that the torpedo had come from an Italian aircraft (the Norwegian source says it was German, which is probably more correct?). The result was a 45 ft long opening in her side, and 2 of her aircraft were destroyed, while another 2 received less serious damages. Temporary repairs were made to the ship on the spot, before she was moved to a harbour nearby where her cargo was transferred to other tankers and barges. On April 6 she went back to Oran for docking and further repairs, then in July she departed Oran for Gibraltar (Convoy MKS 19Y - scroll down to the third table on that page) in order to join a convoy for New York** where permanent repairs were undertaken. 2nd mate at that time was Axel Øhre, 1st Mate Per Thronsen, chief engineer was Eldrup Gustavsen; died in 1995, the steward's name was Jensen.

* Note that she's said to have arrived from the U.S. with Convoy UGS 6 (external link), which had left Hampton Roads on March 4-1943 and arrived Oran on the 22nd. This site gives the date of the aircraft attack as March 26, and does not mention Garonne in Convoy KMF 11 (also external link - departure Clyde March 15, arrival Algiers March 23), however, Windsor Castle, which according to "Nortraships flåte" was sunk in the same attack, is included. See also my page about Hallanger.

** This was in Convoy GUS 11 (also external page).

Garonne returned to service in the late fall of 1943, and had voyages across the Atlantic, in the Mediterranean and to Abadan, as well as some trips to Mombasa, Bombay etc. For a while she was also used as "topping-up barge" for some of the T2 tankers in that area. She also went to Alexandria where she for a while refuelled the allied Mediterranean fleet. Some voyages were made to Malta, with oil as well as fresh water from Sicily. Later on she made a trip to Marseilles before heading to Boston for docking. While en route in the Atlantic a Liberty ship ran into her taking with it the 2 lifeboats on her side, but left half of the motor lifeboat on the boatdeck, so they were able to save the motor. Having docked in Boston she continued with voyages from the east coast of the U.S. and Caribbean to British ports.

The external site that I've linked to below will help fill in some of the gaps in my voyage information for Garonne - follow the instructions at the link. For instance, the site has her in Convoy HX 271, which left New York on Dec. 15-1943 and arrived Liverpool on the 29th. This convoy is not available on my own site.

From Dec.-1943 until Nov.-1944 Garonne had a female radio operator, namely the Canadian Betty (Lake) Ottersen, who later served on T/T Kirkenes. My page about Mosdale has a list of several other Canadian girls serving as R.O.'s on Norwegian ships. See also the second external website below.

In Jan.-1944, Garonne shows up in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 219*, and at the end of March she's listed in Convoy HX 285 from New York, her destination was Clyde. She subsequently returned across the Atlantic at the end of the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 234*.

* All the ON convoys mentioned here are available and will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, along with further details on each. In the meantime, please go to these convoys in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. As will be seen, several Norwegian ships sailed in all of them. See also ships in all KMS convoys, as well as ships in all MKS convoys, where Garonne appears in KMS 54 (June-1944) and KMS 61 (Sept.-1944), and MKS 64 (Oct.-1944). These will also be added to individual pages in my Convoys section.

Peace At Last!

On VE day Garonne was en route from Halifax to the U.K., having departed Halifax on May 5(?)*. She later returned to the U.S. for docking in Baltimore, then picked up a cargo in Bermuda before heading to Naples, then to Port Said, and was in the Suez Canal when Japan capitulated. She now made some voyages from Abadan to various ports in The Indian Ocean as well as to New Zealand, and her last voyage for Nortraship was to Cochin, India where she was officially returned to owners. Another voyage was made from Abadan to Madras and Calcutta where she took on board five female missionaries who had been trapped in China since before the war and had suffered greatly until they had eventually managed to escape to Calcutta. Finally, on Apr. 10-1946 Garonne arrived Copenhagen, then proceeded to Sandefjord, Norway.

* Garonne is, in fact, listed in Convoy SC 176 (external link), which left Halifax on May 16-1945 and arrived Liverpool on the 29th.

POST WAR:

Sold in 1952 to African Enterprises Ltd, Monrovia, Liberia (managed from New York), and renamed African Hope. Sold in 1954 to Societe de Transports Internacionaux, Monaco, and renamed Fontvieille. Extensively damaged by fire and explosion on July 3-1954, while undergoing repairs at Bremerhaven, four workers were killed. Found to be beyond economical repair and sold for £53,000 to Eisen & Metall KG Lehr & Co, for breaking up at Bremerhaven.

Related external link:
Astrup Fearnley - the Fearnley company today.

Back to Garonne on the "Ships starting with G" page.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Krigsseileren", Issue No. 1 and 2 for 1996, E-mails from R. W. Jordan and misc. (ref. My sources).