M/T Haakon Hauan

To Haakon Hauan on the "Ships starting with H" page.


Source: Roger W. Jordan collection.

Misc. War Voyages:

Haakon Hauan was scheduled for the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 47 at the beginning of June-1940 but did not sail. She also cancelled from HX 49, but eventually got away with HX 50, together with several other Norwegian ships. She was scheduled for Convoy HX 66 in Aug. that year, but joined Convoy HX 69 later that month. In Nov. we find her in Convoy OB 238, which left Liverpool on Nov. 2-1940 and dispersed on the 5th. Her destination is given as Aruba - ref. external links at the end of this page. The following month she was scheduled for Convoy HX 93, but instead joined the next convoy, HX 94, bound for River Mersey with cargo of gas oil in station 41.

She was scheduled for Convoy HX 112 in March-1941, but did not sail. She was also cancelled from HX 113 and HX 114, but finally joined HX 116. In June-1941 she was scheduled for Convoy HX 134, but did not sail, and also cancelled from the next convoy, HX 135. I can't find her in any of the subsequent HX convoys; maybe she sailed to the U.K. in one of the SC convoys? (Unfortunately, I don't have the SC convoys for this period, so am unable to confirm). In Sept. that same year we find her in station 33 of the westbound Convoy ON 14, destination New York, going back to the U.K. the following month with Convoy HX 153, together with the Norwegian Katy, Temeraire, Sveve, Ferncastle, Bonneville, Lista, and Santos as well as an unnamed Norwegian tanker. In Nov. she joined the westbound Convoy ON 34, which left Liverpool on Nov. 7-1941, returning with Convoy HX 163 (departed Halifax on Dec. 3-1941) together with the Norwegian Andrea Brøvig, Ringstad, Harpefjell, Høegh Giant, Ørnefjell, Ranja, Pan Aruba, and Thorshøvdi.

She went back across the ocean with the westbound Convoy ON 54* in Jan.-1942, bound for Baytown, and must have gone back to the U.K., because in March that year she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 77*. In Apr.-1942 she was one of several Norwegian ships in Convoy HX 183, returning later that month with the westbound Convoy ON 89*. On May 25 she was on a voyage in ballast from Norfolk to Galveston when she was torpedoed and damaged by U-753 (von Mannstein), 28 45N 90 03W (off the Mississippi inlet). She was taken to New Orleans, then towed to Mobile where she stayed for 3 months for repairs. She's listed in Convoy HX 210, which left New York City on Oct. 1-1942. Haakon Hauan, with a cargo of gasoline, was bound for Belfast Dock and sailed in station 42 of this convoy. She turned around very quickly and joined the westbound Convoy ON 140* later that month, but had to return to port with whether damage, and subsequently joined ON 143* at the beginning of Nov. She was bound for New York on that occasion. She was scheduled to return to the U.K. with Convoy HX 220, but instead joined the next convoy, HX 221 on Dec. 29, cargo of aviation fuel for Stanlow, station 63.

For her return voyage to the U.S. she joined the westbound Convoy ON 162 in Jan.-1943, along with a number of other Norwegian vessels. She must have gone back to the U.K. again shortly afterwards, because in the middle of March-1943 we find her listed as bound for New York in the westbound Convoy ON 173*. That summer, on June 17-1943, she shows up in the Bizerta portion of Convoy MKS 15 - scroll down to the second table on my page for that convoy. No voyage information is given, but it looks like she subsequently went back to the U.S., because in Aug.-1943, she sailed from New York with Convoy HX 251, destination Bowling, station 35. The following month she joined the westbound Convoy ON 199*, but returned to port, subsequently joining ON 200*. It's obvious she must have gone back to the U.K. again, because in Nov. that year she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 209*.

In Jan./Febr.-1944 she's listed in Convoy HX 277 from New York, bound for Clyde, returning across the ocean towards the end of Febr. with Convoy ON 225*. In March we find her in Convoy HX 283, and the following month she was one of several Norwegian ships in the westbound Convoy ON 231*, namely Bernhard, Østhav, Ferncourt, Spinanger, Vav, Solstad, Idefjord, President de Vogue, Heranger, Kong Haakon VII, Thorsholm, Skaraas, Høyanger and Nordanger, some of which had also been in HX 283. ON 231 left Liverpool on Apr. 7 and arrived New York on the 24th.

In June-1944 Haakon Hauan shows up in Convoy GUS 44 which left Port Said on June 24. This convoy was bound for Hampton Roads (arrival July 18), but several ships parted company, while others joined along the way (some Norwegian). In fact, Haakon Hauan joined from Bizerta on June 30, and it looks like she was bound for Casablanca only. Note that she's also mentioned in connection with GUS 45 and is said to have arrived New York from Casablanca on July 29-1944. Already on Aug. 3 we find her among the ships in Convoy HX 302 from New York, destination is given as Belfast and Heysham. She then returned with the westbound Convoy ON 250* towards the end of that month.

In May-1945 she's listed as bound for Curacao in the westbound Convoy ON 301*.

* 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.

POST WAR:

Owners later renamed A/S Norske Esso, Oslo. Sold January 1960 to British Iron & Steel Corporation and allocated to Thomas W. Ward Ltd. for breaking up. Arrived at Inverkeithing, Scotland, March 6-1960, to be broken up.

U-753

Back to Haakon Hauan on the "Ships starting with H" page.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, E-mail from R. W. Jordan, and "The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague (ref. My sources), as well as those who have sent me the convoy information, as listed on each individual convoy page.