Gos Whale Catchers - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Signal letters LCYH, belonged to Hvalfangerselskapet Pelagos A/S, Tønsberg. Converted in 1941 (in Halifax) to patrol vessel. Hired by Royal Navy from 1941 for use as training vessel and renamed HMS Moss, with Norwegian crew. Served as auxiliary patrol vessel 1943-45.

POST WAR: Returned to Norway in 1945 and renamed Gos 1. Sold in Sept.-1964 and renamed Eldjern, later Stålbas. Ran aground off Newfoundland on July 3-1973.

Hvalfangerselskapet Pelagos A/S had another Gos I from 1955, originally delivered in 1949 from builders in Japan as Knekt to Hvalfangerselskapet Antarctic A/S, Tønsberg, 534gt. Later names: Knut Grønnevet 1965, Klara Birting 1971, Born Safety 1982 and Stril Safety 1987 (Simon Møkster, Stavanger). Still in service.

Gos 2 - 247 gt NS:

Built in Middlesbrough 1928

Signal letters LCBE, owned by Hvalfangerselskapet Pelagos A/S, Tønsberg. Hired by Royal Navy from Nov.-1940 for use as minesweeper, renamed HMS Atmosphere, Sept.-1941.

See also Page 2 (probably shows Gos 2's voyages).

POST WAR: Returned to Norway in Dec.-1945 and renamed Gos 2. Sold to Spain in March-1951, renamed Pepe Luiz Lopez. Disappeared without a trace on Apr. 16-1951 while catching in Cadiz Bay.

Hvalfangerselskapet Pelagos A/S had another Gos II from 1955, originally delivered in 1949 from builders in Japan as Krill to Hvalfangerselskapet Antarctic A/S, Tønsberg, 534gt. Later names: Berghorn 1965, Sermilik 1980, lost off Iceland in March-1981.

Gos 3 - 251 gt when built - later 247 gt NS:

Built in Middlesbrough 1928

Signal letters LCBF, owned by Hvalfangerselskapet Pelagos A/S, Tønsberg. Hired by Royal Navy from Nov.-1940 for use as minesweeper, renamed HMS Billow, 1941.

See also Page 8.

POST WAR: Returned to Norway in 1945 and renamed Gos 9. Sold in Oct.-1951 to Chr. Salvesen & Co., Leith, renamed Sistra - in use as "buoy vessel" at South Georgia. Sold in 1962 to Ole Edvardsen and converted to fishing vessel Langvin. Condemned in 1987.

The above mentioned forum post also mentions this vessel, saying it was requisitioned by Royal Navy in Dec.-1940. Erling Skjold adds in his posting to the forum that Narvik served in Liverpool Local Escort Force (1941-1943), Shetland force, Norwegian Navy unit in Scapa Flow and 1st Minesweeper division, Dundee, and that she was returned to her civilian owner in 1946. He agrees she was converted from a whaler to a fishing vessel in 1962 and was still being used as such in the 1980's.

I've come across an interesting personal story about this vessel in "Krigsseileren, Issue No. 1 for 1985. It appears she was at Lunenberg for almost a year while being armed and converted to escort vessel, having arrived Bedford Basin from Walvis Bay. After having received a large gun at Dartmouth she headed for Liverpool which was to be the base (Birkenhead) for Narvik and 2 other Norwegian whale catchers that had also been converted (Gos 8 / Bodø and Kos XX / Molde), as well as 3 English ships. They escorted convoys out into the Atlantic, then picked up returning convoys, and also had 2 trips to Gibraltar. She was later stationed at Scapa Flow (Orkneys), then at Lerwick (Shetlands), operating as escort. She also got the job of towing 2 MTB's over to the western part of Norway. In Febr.-1942 Narvik was sent to pick up a missing English submarine which had run out of oxygen and had had to surface just off Trondheimsfjord. At first the sub was nowhere to be seen, but on the 4th day contact was established, and the entire crew of about 47 men found to be safe. The sub was capable of maneuvering on its own, but on arrival Dundee, Narvik took it alongside, like a whale, and this is how they entered port at Dundee, with a large crowd welcoming them. (There's a picture of this event, and the sub does indeed look like a whale alongside the whale catcher). Another time they picked up a Dutch vessel near the Norwegian coast. This ship had been interned by the Germans, but eventually only the skipper was German, and the crew had managed to tie him up in the galley, whereupon the men from Narvik could board and free the crew. Just before Christmas of 1944 Narvik picked up 40 refugees from Holden in Vesterålen. When the war had ended she transported equipment to Bergen, Norway, and the following spring (1946) she went to Kaldnes mek. Verksted for repairs, then re-entered her old service as whale catcher for several seasons (for Svend Foyn Bruun)

Related external links:
Camp Norway - This site has quite a bit about the Norwegian whale catchers that came to the area.

Østfold Hvalfangerklubb - This site has a lot of interesting Norwegian whaling history in the newsletter "Kaskelotten" for those of you who read Norwegian. Klikk on "Artikler".