D/S Harpefjell

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


Source: Bjørn Milde's postcard collection.

Received from and painted by Jan Goedhart, Holland.

Misc. Convoy Voyages – 1940-1945:

Harpefjell is listed among the ships in the Gibraltar-U.K. Convoy HG 20 in Febr.-1940. Towards the end of Apr. that year she sailed in Convoy HGF 27, bound for Liverpool, station 33. The only other Norwegian ship in this convoy was Bruse Jarl. Harpefjell was scheduled for Convoy OB 146 the following month (departure Liverpool on May 11-1940), but did not sail (she was only bound for London on this occasion). She's listed in Convoy OA 162, which left Southend on June 5-1940 and dispersed 2 days later. Her destination is given as St. John's, N.F., general cargo - ref. the external links at the end of this page for more on the OA and OB convoys. She headed back to the U.K. in July in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 62 (having been cancelled from the previous convoy, HX 61). In Sept. she joined Convoy OA 214, leaving Methil on Sept. 14, dispersed on the 17th; her voyage information is given as "Methil to Clyde". She now shows up in Convoy OB 219 later that month (departure Liverpool Sept. 25, dispersed Sept. 30), and in Nov.-1940 she was in Convoy HX 90, joining with the Sydney (C.B.) portion, bound for Manchester with a general cargo in station 72. There's a note in the document stating she was transferred from Convoy HX 89, however, I don't have the Advance Sailing Telegram for that convoy, so am unable to confirm.

In Jan.-1941 she's listed, with no voyage information, in Convoy OB 274, which departed Liverpool on Jan. 14, dispersed on the 19th. In March she sailed in Convoy SL 67, leaving Freetown on March 1, arriving Liverpool on the 26th, and in May she shows up in Convoy OB 320, leaving Liverpool on May 8, dispersed May 14. Harpefjell was bound for St. John's on that occasion. At the end of June-1941 she joined Convoy HX 136 (from Sydney, C.B., having been cancelled from the previous convoy, HX 135), and the following month she can be found, with destination Clyde only, in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 2, leaving Liverpool on July 27-1941. She subsequently continued to St. John's with the next westbound convoy, ON 3, which left Liverpool on July 31, then returned to the U.K. in Sept. with Convoy HX 149 (station 86) along with the Norwegian Daghild (station 63), Brasil (83), Thorsholm (33), Innerøy (35), Thorshov (64), Somerville (66?), Glittre (24), Lise (44), Aristophanes (station 43), Norvik (Panamanian flag, Norwegian managers and therefore included on this website, in station 84, behind Brasil) and Brant County (87), as well as an unnamed Norwegian tanker in station 73. In Oct. she's listed as bound for Sydney, C.B. in the westbound Convoy ON 27*, which left Liverpool on Oct. 16, dispersed Nov. 2. Harpefjell went back to the U.K. again in Convoy HX 163 (departed Halifax on Dec. 3-1941) together with the Norwegian Andrea Brøvig, Haakon Hauan, Ringstad, Høegh Giant, Ørnefjell, Ranja, Pan Aruba, and Thorshøvdi.

According to the first external website that I've linked to at the end of this text Harpefjell sailed in Convoy OS 17 in Jan./Febr.-1942, together with a few other Norwegian ships. She was on a voyage in ballast from Liverpool to Freetown/W.C. Africa in station 43 of the convoy, and returned to the U.K. the following month in Convoy SL 103, which departed Freetown on March 14 (Gibraltar March 22) and arrived Liverpool on Apr. 2-1942. Harpefjell's cargo is given as palm kernels, and she was bound for Mersey, sailing in station 34. The company's Ørnefjell also took part in both these convoys. Click on the link for more details. About a week later we find Harpefjell in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 85*. which left Liverpool on Apr. 10-1942, however, she returned to port, joining Convoy ON 86* 4 days later - her destination is given as Cornerbrook. In June-1942 she's listed as sailing in Convoy HX 194 from Halifax, again in the company of several other Norwegian ships. She joined the westbound Convoy ON 113* the following month, again bound for Sydney, C.B. (departure Liverpool on July 17), but became a straggler in the bad weather. In Sept. that year she shows up in the slow Convoy SC 99 from Halifax, returning across the Atlantic with the westbound Convoy ON 138*, which left Liverpool on Oct. 11 and arrived New York on Nov. 3 - Harpefjell, however, was bound for Halifax, though joined Convoy ON 140* from there later that month, presumably to continue to New York (this convoy had originated in Liverpool on Oct. 17, arrived New York on Nov. 7). According to the external site below she subsequently joined the slow Convoy SC 111, which left New York on Nov. 25, but she arrived Halifax, having lost the convoy due to the bad weather and later joined Convoy SC 112 from there, in order to complete her voyage to the U.K. (arrival Liverpool Dec. 25). These convoys are not available on my own site.

In Jan.-1943 we find her in station 23 of the westbound Convoy ON 160, which left Liverpool on Jan. 11 and arrived New York on Febr. 4. She returned to the U.K. towards the end of that month (Febr. 23-1943) with Convoy SC 121 in which the Commodore ship Bonneville and several others were sunk. She now headed back across the Atlantic in March with the westbound Convoy ONS 2*, departing Liverpool on March 28, arriving Halifax on Apr. 19 - Harpefjell's destination is not given. In May that same year she was in Convoy SC 132 from Halifax, and in the middle of July she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 193* (left Liverpool July 16, arrrived New York July 31). Strangely she's also listed, with destination Boston, in Convoy ONS 13*, which left Liverpool on July 14-1943 - she could not have been in both, unless she joined the latter and later returned to port, or perhaps she was bound for Boston, U.K. at the time?

There's now a big gap in my voyage information for this ship, but by following the instructions at the external link below, some of these gaps will be filled.

At the end of Jan.-1945 I have her in the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 166, bound for Grangemouth with lumber.

* All the ON and ONS 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 and the page naming ships in all ONS convoys. More info on all the other Norwegian ships named on this page can be found with the help of the alphabet index below.

Related external links:
OS/KMS Convoys and SL convoys - The site also has a section for the OB (& OA) convoys as well as the Russian convoys (among others), and a very useful Multi-Convoy Web Search feature - here's the main page. As can be seen, Harpefjell is listed in Convoy OB 146, OA 162, OS 17, SL 67 and SL 103. Note also that by going to this section of the same site and clicking on "Ship Search", using "Harpefjell" as keyword, many convoys that are not mentioned in my own text will come up, and will help fill in some of the gaps in my voyage information for Harpefjell. Here are direct links to OA 214, OB 219, OB 274, OB 320, SC 111, SC112, all mentioned in my text above.

See also this chronological list of
OA & OB convoys

The Battle for Convoy ON 113 - A description of this convoy battle.

Back to Harpefjell on the "Ships starting with H" page.

Olsen & Ugelstad had another ship by this name, built in Fredrikstad in 1936. Sold to Holland in 1937 and renamed Prins Maurits (N.v. Mij. Zeetransport, Rotterdam). Sold in 1956 to Germany and renamed Carl Levers, sold in 1959 to Gill Amin, Bombay, no name change. Damaged in a storm in Aug.-1964 off Bombay, on fire, broken up in 1966.