D/S Granfoss

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


Picture of this ship when named Granfos - from Bjørn Milde's postcard collection.
(When people send me pictures of ships, I can't always be sure these are of the WW II ships, or of earlier/later ships by the same name.
Can anyone confirm this is the correct ship?)
Here's another picture, also from Bjørn Milde.

Some War Voyages:

Granfoss is listed in Convoy HN 8 from Norway to the U.K. in Jan.-1940. In March we find her in Convoy HN 19, bound for Manchester with general cargo.

In Sept.-1940 she was in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 3, from which the Norwegian Lotos was sunk. According to "Nortraships flåte" Granfoss rescued 20 men from the torpedoed HMS Dundee (L 84) on Sept. 15-1940, and a little later she picked up 27 from Empire Volunteer. Another 6 men from Dundee were picked up by the Norwegian D/S Vigsnes. However, it appears the author may have gotten the rescuers of survivors from Empire Volunteer mixed up with Granli - Page 2 of my account for Granli has more information on this incident; see also my page about Convoy SC 3. ("Nortraships flåte" indicates that the Norwegian D/S Hird may also have been in SC 3 initially, but had a small fire on board on Sept. 10 and fell out of the convoy while repairing. However, Hird is, in fact, listed in Convoy HX 70).

At the end of Jan.-1941 Granfoss, with a cargo of chemical pulp, was scheduled for the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 21, but instead joined the next convoy, SC 22. In April that year she's listed in Convoy OB 305, leaving Liverpool on Apr. 2-1941, dispersed on the 6th. Her destination is given as Halifax, station 92. This convoy is available at the first external link provided below. That fall she joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 10, which left Liverpool on Aug. 27. Granfoss' destination is given as Montreal on that occasion, station 82.

In Oct.-1941, she shows up in the Advance Sailing Telegram for Convoy SC 48 in which several Norwegian ships were sunk, one of them being Erviken. Granfoss was bound for Ridham Dock with steel and pulpwood. However, she's not included on the A 1 form so I'm not entirely sure whether she sailed or not.

At the beginning of July-1942 she's listed in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 90, cargo of pulp for Grimsby.

Granfoss took part as supply ship for the Normandie invasion in June-1944, arriving Omaha Beach on June 12, departing July 2.

POST WAR:

Arrived at Manchester on Sept. 30-1945 for return to Norwegian owners.

Related external links:
OB convoys - OB 305 is included.

Omaha Beachhead

Omaha Beach - includes several Maps

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

Norway (Thor Thoresen Jr., Kristiania) had a Granfos (spelt with the one s, made of steel) in 1908-1911, originally built as Ariel II in 1906, 1760 gt, L. B. Rafen, Holmestrand. Stranded at Hysgeir Rocks in 1911, voyage Fredrikstad-Manchester with lumber.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, and misc. as mentioned within text - (ref. My sources).