D/S Hardanger - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

In July-1941 she can be found in Convoy HX 136, bound for Hull with a cargo of grain, joining from Sydney, C.B. The following month we find her, with destination Sydney, C.B., in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 8, returning to the U.K. in Sept. with Convoy HX 151 along with the Norwegian Dagrun (station 54), Sama (85), San Andres (105), Meline (43), Morgenen (93), Belinda, Thorshøvdi (53), Sophocles (left the convoy and sailed independently), Tigre (44), Laurits Swenson (it says only Swenson, but I assume it should be Laurits Swenson), Leiv Eiriksson (24). The convoy left Halifax on Sept. 22 and arrived Liverpool on Oct. 7. Later that month she's listed in station 25 of the westbound Convoy ON 30, which left Liverpool on Oct. 26-1941. Christmas that year was spent in Convoy HX 166, together with Toronto and an unnamed Norwegian tanker.

She departed in convoy from the U.K. on Jan. 21-1942 with 1500 tons general cargo for Kingston, Jamaica but encountered a horrendous storm and a lot of the ships were forced to return to Gourock (this must have been Convoy ON 59*, in which she's listed). She left again on Jan. 30 (joined Convoy ON 63*), only to meet a snow storm with gale force winds and again had to return. Finally departed on Febr. 6 (with the head nurse of Kingston Hospital as passenger), endured 3 storms in 6 days, left the convoy (ON 65*) on the 12th to continue south to the Caribbean on her own. Had a worrysome full moon after they had passed Crooked Island Passage, east of the Bahamas, so that she had no place to "hide" as she was approaching Windward Passage (between Cuba and Haiti) where they had heard there might be U-boats waiting, but on March 2 there was a full eclipse and she passed the straits in total darkness, arriving Kingston safely the next day.

Arrived British waters on Apr. 14-1942 from Kingston, Jamaica via Halifax in Convoy SC 77, and was ordered by the Commodore to proceed to Belfast for further orders. Departed Belfast for Milford Haven to join a coastal convoy on Apr. 21 for Southampton which was in ruins on arrival. Unloaded cargo for 10 days and departed Southampton for Cowes on May 2 to wait for a westbound convoy. Experienced an aircraft attack at Cowes and moved to a safer area, where they watched as wave after wave of bombers attacked Cowes. Departed Cowes for Fowey on May 4, took on board a cargo of phosphates for New York and departed on May 8 for Milford Haven to join a westbound convoy (ON 95*) and arrived New York from Southampton on May 30.

In the summer of 1942, 4 of her holds were panelled by a group of carpenters while in New York. While this was going on she was heavily guarded by soldiers, and once the work was completed they took on board 3000 tons ammunition for Montgomery's desert army in Egypt. The boatswain and 2 able seamen payed off at the time, this type of cargo was not popular. After the 3 weeks' stay at Bethlehem yards, Brooklyn she departed New York on July 10-1942 for Suez via Hampton Roads and Key West (Convoy KS 520) with the ammunition in 4 of her 5 holds, also had other war materials, as well as cases of beer for the soldiers, and locomotives and other vehicles on her decks (due to the lack of escort vessels at that time the convoy first sailed along the Jersey coast and into Delaware Bay almost to Philadelphia, then into Chesapeake Bay and passed Baltimore before heading south to Hampton Roads where they joined a convoy for Suez via South Africa - with a stronger escort).

Off Cape Canaveral the ship in front of them was sunk (Nicaraguan Bluefields?), then another on their starboard side was torpedoed (American Chilore? Damaged, later struck American mine and sank). Then it was the Commodore ship, J. A. Mowinkel's turn (Panamanian, damaged), all hit by U-576 according to Jürgen Rohwer. Hardanger arrived Trinidad on Aug. 2, departed on Aug. 4 for Cape Town, arriving Aug. 26. Departed for Suez on Sept. 3, arrived Oct. 6 and had finished unloading on Oct. 18. Departed for Port Said on Nov. 1, arriving the next day - departed again on Nov. 19 for Alexandria, then back to Port Said on Dec. 17 to pick up war stores meant for Turkey, left Port Said on the 26th and reached Haifa 2 days later, then on to Turkey where they arrived on Jan. 8-1943, stayed for quite a long time, took on a cargo of ore for New York, and departed Iskenderun (Turkey) on Febr. 20.

Hardanger was in New York again at the end of May-1943. (She had been Commodore ship from San Salvador [Bahia], Brasil to New York with Vice Admiral Atkins as Commodore). Towards the end of the following month, she shows up among the ships in Convoy HX 245, her cargo is given as steel and lumber and she was bound for Immingham, sailing in station 21 of the convoy. In Aug.-1943 she's listed as bound for Cuba with coke in the westbound Convoy ON 196*. In Oct. we find her in Convoy SC 144, leaving Halifax on Oct 11 and arriving Liverpool on the 27th, and the following month she made a voyage to Italy. This is possible to determine from the external website below, which lists Hardanger in Convoy OS 60/KMS 34, voyaging from Clyde to Italy in station 95. (The Gibraltar portion, KMS 34, will also be added to my own site in due course).

In Jan.-1944 she's listed in the Alexandria portion of Convoy MKS 37, voyage Augusta-Gibraltar. In June/July that same year she can be found in Convoy HX 297 from New York, bound for Methil and London with cargo of grain (having previously returned to port when in Convoy HX 295), returning in Aug. with the westbound Convoy ON 248S*. Not long afterwards she joined Convoy HX 306, bound for Swansea, again with grain. This convoy originated in New York on Aug. 31-1944, but Hardanger joined from Sydney C.B., as did the Norwegian Velox and Olaf Bergh.

Early in Apr.-1945 she shows up in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ONS 46*; her destination is given as Halifax.

* 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. Convoy ONS 46 is also available - see this page.

POST WAR:

Sold to D/S A/S Ask (August Kjerland), Bergen in Sept.-1953 and renamed Hop. Laid up in March-1958, then sold to Belgian breakers in Sept. Aground off Flushing, Netherlands on Jan. 10-1959 while being towed from Arendal to Antwerp. Refloated on Jan. 11 and taken to Flushing for inspection. Sailed from Flushing in tow on Jan. 14 and arrived at Bruges on the same day to be broken up by Van Heyghen Freres.

Related external link:
SL convoys and OS/KMS Convoys - The site also has a section on the OB convoys. As can be seen, Hardanger is listed in OB 237, SL 73 and OS 60/KMS 34, as are several other Norwegian ships.

To Hardanger on the "Ships starting with H" page.