M/T Gefion
Updated June 24-2009

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

Misc. Convoy Voyages:

For information on voyages made prior to and in between those mentioned here, please see the documents received from the National Archives of Norway as well as Hague's Voyage Record above. Follow the convoy links provided for more details on them; several Norwegian ships took part.

Gefion was in service in the Atlantic but also for the US Navy in the Pacific.

It looks like she spent quite a long time in New York in the spring of 1941, from arriving there from Curacao on May 16, to departing again for Halifax on Aug. 26 - see Page 1 of the archive documents. From Halifax, she subsequently joined Convoy HX 148 on Sept. 4, and arrived Swansea, via Belfast Lough, on Sept. 19. The following month, she joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 22*, which originated in Liverpool on Oct. 2 and dispersed on the 15th, Gefion arriving New York Oct. 19.

The Norwegian version of my "Warsailor Stories" section has a story by Peder Kristoffer Langeland who served on this ship from Nov.-1941 till Sept.-1942. He confirms the ship was on charter to the U.S. Navy, and adds that they made several voyages Aruba – Halifax and Aruba – the Gulf, often in convoy north from Key West due to the increasing U-boat threat. He says that when the news of the Pearl Harbor attack was received on Dec. 7-1941, they were in New York. As already mentioned above, Gefion had arrived New York from the U.K. on Oct. 19-1941, and did not leave again until Dec. 18, with arrival Aruba Dec. 25. Her subsequent voyages are listed on Page 2 and in the Voyage Record above.

Skipping now to Nov. 11-1942, when she can be found in Convoy HX 215 from New York, bound for Avonmouth, where she arrived Nov. 27. She returned across the Atlantic with Convoy ON 151*, which originated in Liverpool on Dec. 3 and arrived New York Dec. 23, and about a week later, we find her in Convoy HX 221 from New York, cargo of gasoline for Stanlow, station 83. The Commodore's narrative is also available for this convoy; he was in Abraham Lincoln (Gefion is mentioned under Jan. 11). According to Page 3, Gefion arrived Stanlow on Jan. 16-1943.

She headed back to the U.S. on Jan. 23-1943 with the westbound Convoy ON 162, and was scheduled to go back to the U.K. on Febr. 28 in Convoy HX 228 (in which Brant County was sunk), but did not sail. As can be seen when going back to the archive document mentioned above, she appears to have spent a long time in Baltimore in this period (she had arrived there on Febr. 11 and did not leave until Apr. 3). She eventually got away in Convoy HX 234 from New York on Apr. 12, for which Laurits Swenson served as Commodore Vessel; the Commodore's report has been added. Gefion arrived Stanlow on Apr. 30, later returning to New York in Convoy ON 183*, which started out in Liverpool on May 10 and arrived New York on the 25th. On May 31, we find her in station 103 of Convoy HX 242 from New York, again bound for Avonmouth, where she arrived, via Belfast Lough, on June 16. She now joined the westbound Convoy ON 190*, which originated in Liverpool on June 24 and arrived New York July 9. On the 15th of that month, she's listed in Convoy HX 248; see also the Commodore's report. The following month, she joined the westbound Convoy ON 196* (from Liverpool Aug. 8, to New York Aug. 21), heading back to the U.K. on Aug. 27 in Convoy HX 254. Her destination is again given as Stanlow, and she had station 94 of the convoy. Her last Trans-Atlantic voyage that year (and for a long time thereafter) was made in Convoy ON 203*, departing Liverpool on Sept. 22, arriving New York Oct. 9. From New York, she later proceeded to Curacao - Page 4 and the Voyage Record above have details on her subsequent voyages.

In Nov.-1944, she was 1 of 3 Norwegian ships in Convoy HX 320; the others were Anna Knudsen and Dalfonn. Gefion, acting as Escort Oiler, was bound for Stanlow with petroleum products, arriving Stanlow on Dec. 1/2. Just a couple of days later, she embarked on her return voyage across the ocean with the westbound Convoy ON 270, and was scheduled to go back to the U.K. with Convoy HX 328 from New York on Christmas Eve, but instead joined the next convoy on Dec. 29, HX 329, for which Emma Bakke served as Commodore Vessel. Gefion was bound for Avonmouth, arriving there on Jan. 12-1945.

She returned to the U.S. later that month with the westbound Convoy ON 279, arriving New York on Febr. 5-1945, then on Febr. 23, she's listed in Convoy HX 340*, but returned to port that same day (Page 5), subsequently joining HX 341* on Febr. 28, arriving Avonmouth on March 15. Later that month, we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 292*, which started out in Southend on March 22 and arrived New York Apr. 8, then on Apr. 13, she joined Convoy HX 350*, and arrived Avonmouth Apr. 28. Her last westbound convoy voyage of the war was made in Convoy ON 300*, which sailed from Liverpool on May 2 and arrived New York May 18; in other words, VE Day was celebrated at sea. Just a few days later, on May 23, she headed back to the U.K. in Convoy HX 358*, and arrived Avonmouth on June 6. (This was the last HX convoy of the war; the last convoy in the ON series was ON 305, May 26).

Page 5 of the archive documents also shows some of her early 1946 voyages, as does Page 6.

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

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: Roger W. Jordan - and misc.