M/T G. C. Brøvig - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Related item on this website:
Warsailor Stories has the personal story of someone who was on board G. C. Brøvig - the first story on that page (there's also a link to the original, Norwegian version of the story). He also served on General Ruge, and had a brother who served on Germa. It's the story of 5 brothers and a sister who all served outside of Norway during the war; the brothers on 17 different ships altogether. Another sister was involved in "illegal" activities in Norway, as was the father.

Misc. War Voyages – 1940-1945:

G. C. Brøvig is listed among the ships in the Bermuda portion of Convoy HX 46 in May/June-1940, bound for Milford Haven with fuel oil - several Norwegian ships took part; as will be seen by following the link.

The first external website that I've linked to at the end of this text has G. C. Brøvig in Convoy SL 55 from Freetown in Nov.-1940. She was bound for Gibraltar, and was sailing in station 84 of the convoy. The Norwegian Orwell and Vav are also listed.

In Jan.-1941 she can be found in Convoy HX 104, joining from Bermuda, and the following month she was in the westbound convoy OB 289 which was attacked in the early morning hours of Febr. 24-1941 with the loss of 3 British ships (British Gunner, Jonathan Holt and Mansepool). G. C. Brøvig was hit by U-97 (Heilman) in 61 04N 14 24W and damaged, but made it in to Stornoway where she was temporarily repaired, then proceeded to Falmouth where she remained for 3 months while being repaired.

G. C. Brøvig was in station 44 of Convoy HX 147 in Aug./Sept-1941 along with the Norwegian Nueva Granada (station 104), Bello (station 114), Solør (station 54), Sandanger (station 103, which means she was the 3rd ship in the 10th column, right behind Bralanta and in front of Nueva Granada), Slemmestad (station 95), Strinda (station 63), Bralanta (in station 102), and probably O. A. Knudsen (name is misspelt, might also be Ida Knudsen, in station 112). G. C. Brøvig, with destination Halifax, subsequently joined the westbound Convoy ON 18, leaving Liverpool on Sept. 19-1941.

In Dec.-1941 she was scheduled for the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 61 (having cancelled from Convoy HX 165), but instead joined Convoy HX 168 in Jan.-1942, together with the Norwegian Fernmoor, Tai Shan and N. T. Nielsen Alonso. (Brimanger was also scheduled for this convoy, but did not sail). The following month she joined the westbound Convoy ON 65* (joining from Iceland) and in March that year she was scheduled for Convoy SC 75, as well as for SC 76, but joined SC 77, destination Iceland. At the end of Apr. we find her in Convoy RU 21 from Reykjavik to the U.K.

Going back to the external website below, she shows up in station 76 of Convoy OS 29 in May/June-1942, voyaging from Clyde to Port of Spain and Curacao in ballast. Several Norwegian ships took part. She returned the following month with SL 116, leaving Freetown on July 15, arriving Liverpool on Aug. 4. She had a cargo of fuel oil, bound for Loch Ewe. The Norwegian Astrell is also listed. Early in Sept. she joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 127*; her destination is given as New York. This convoy is in place on this page, but will be updated as it's currently incomplete.

She's mentioned in connection with Convoy HX 213 (New York-U.K.) in Oct. 1942, but is crossed out. There's also a notation saying "not for U.K.". She was one of the many Norwegian ships taking part in the Torch operations, carrying about 14 000 tons oil for the war ships (Athos has a list of Norwegian ships taking part in these operations). However, I'm not sure that she could have taken part in the very first Torch convoys, as the initial invasion took place on Nov. 8-1942, and if she was indeed in New York in the last week of Oct., she could not have made it to the U.K. in time to join the first Torch convoys from there. Besides, the notation saying "not for U.K." might mean that she, in fact, sailed in one of the UGS convoys directly from the U.S. to Africa (for instance, UGS 2, which left Hampton Roads on Nov. 13-1942 and arrived Casablanca on Dec. 1). She does show up in a convoy referred to by A. Hague as Convoy MKS 3Y in Dec.-1942 - see the second table on my page for Convoy MKS 3. Other Norwegian ships in this portion were Bosphorus (just released from internment in Algiers), Brisk and Kong Sverre, while Troubadour and Selvik are listed in what is referred to as MKS 3X.

In May-1943 she can be found in Convoy HX 237 from New York to the U.K. (see also Sandanger and Brand), returning in June with the westbound Convoy ON 188*. She subsequently headed back to the U.K. later that month with Convoy HX 246, bound for Scapa with Admiralty fuel, station 23, and in July we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 194*, bound for New York.

S. Inselseth, who later went on to become the captain of one of my mother's ships (see M/S Mogen, post war), served on G. C. Brøvig as a gunner in this period, from Aug.-1942, until June 30-1944. It looks like he must have paid off in New York, because the next convoy she joined left that city on July 3 that year.

In July-1944 she was in Convoy HX 298 from New York, destination is given as Milford Haven and Devonport. At the beginning of Oct. she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 257*, and was was scheduled to return later that month with Convoy HX 315, but instead joined the next convoy, HX 316. In the middle of Nov.-1944 she joined the westbound Convoy ON 266*. She was scheduled to go back to the U.K. with HX 324 in Dec. that same year, but joined Convoy HX 325 a few days later.

At the beginning of Jan.-1945 we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 276*, and she was scheduled to return to the U.K. later that month with the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 335, but did not sail. She was also cancelled from HX 336, but eventually got away with HX 337 in Febr. She returned across the ocean the following month with the westbound convoy ON 288*, together with 9 other Norwegian ships, namely Villanger, Viggo Hansteen, Tanafjord, Slemmestad, Dageid, Polartank, Heranger, Harald Torsvik and Høyanger, all listed on this website. This convoy departed Southend on March 2-1945 and arrived New York on March 19. The Norwegian commodore, R. G. Bruusgaard was in the British Port Fremantle.

What follows are some of her further voyages, some post war, from the personal diary of O. A. Henjum, received from his daughter. He joined G. C. Brøvig while she was still in New York on March 23-1945, having previously served on Thorshov (at the same time as my own father, so the 2 must have known each other). He had also served as Able Seaman on Sandar when that ship was sunk.

Left New York on March 24 with Convoy HX 346, bound for Portsmouth and Plymouth, arrived Plymouth Apr. 7. Left Plymouth Apr. 14 (Convoy ON 296*), arrived New York Apr. 30, leaving again on May 3 in Convoy HX 354, so on VE day, May 8-1945, they were en route from New York to the U.K. She almost collided with another ship in heavy fog on this voyage. Arrived Plymouth May 18, left for Cardiff on the 22nd with arrival May 24. At a yard for repairs until Aug. 4, then departed for the Persian Gulf, passing Gibraltar in the evening of Aug. 9, and Algiers the next day, arriving Port Said on Aug. 16 (went through the Suez Canal at night, taking 12-13 hours). Passed Aden on Aug. 20 and arrived Abadan on the 30th. After having loaded a cargo there they departed for Trincomalee on Sept. 1, leaving the latter on the 14th (having arrived on the 12th). Back to Abadan to pick up a cargo for Trincomalee (arr. Abadan Sept. 25, left next day), arrived Trincomalee on Oct. 7, then left on the 10th for Abadan where they arrived on Oct. 20. After having loaded a cargo they left early in the morning of the 21st for Cape Town, arriving Nov. 12, anchoring up the next morning. Armament and pill boxes were now taken ashore, aft gun platform still on board. Left Cape Town on Nov. 19 - arrived Abadan on Dec. 10, then left on Dec. 12 with a cargo for Australia. While still at sea they were ordered into Fremantle(?) for bunkers, where they arrived on Jan. 6-1946 (or, it's possible they went there in order to supply the British HMS Anson, the text here is a little unclear). Departed for Sydney on Jan. 8, arrived on the 17th, at which time the gunners were demobilized. Left for the Persian Gulf on Jan. 23, arriving Rasat Tanurah on Febr. 22.

* All the westbound ON convoys mentioned here are available and will be added to my Convoys section in due course. In the meantime, see the section lising ships in all ON convoys.

POST WAR:

Sold in 1951 to Reederei Eugen Friedrich, Hamburg, and renamed Emmy Friedrich. Arrived at Hamburg Nov. 14-1960 to be broken up by Walter Ritscher.

Related external links:
SL Convoys - There's also a section on the OS and OS/KMS convoys. As will be seen, G. C. Brøvig is listed in Convoy SL 55, as well as in Convoy OS 29 and SL 116. The same site also has Convoy HX 346, and HX 354.

U-97

Th. Brøvig later had another tanker by this name, built in Port Glasgow in 1951. The Clydebuilt Ships website has some more details on this ship. From 1980 she sailed as Norwegian Andina, broken up in 1981.