D/S Heien

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


Source: Roger W. Jordan collection.

Some War Voyages:

Heien is listed as sailing in Convoy HN 19 from Norway to the U.K. in March-1940, bound for Liverpool with a cargo of timber.

In Sept.-1940 we find her in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 4, which had a large number of Norwegian ships. Heien was bound for Sharpness with a cargo of lumber. The following month she's listed as bound for Sydney, C.B. in ballast in station 45 of Convoy OB 232, leaving Liverpool on Oct. 21-1940, dispersed on the 26th (see external links below for more on this convoy, which also had several Norwegian ships). Heien returned to the U.K. at the end of the following month with Convoy SC 13, cargo of pit props for Immingham.

In Aug.-1941 we find her in station 75 of the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 7; her destination is given as Iceland.

In June-1943 she shows up in Convoy RU 76 from Reykjavik to the U.K., together with Erica, Nandi and Lyra.

Took part in Operation Neptune, the maritime side of the invasion of Normandy in June-1944, discharging her cargo from June 6 until June 11. The picture above was taken off the Normandy beaches on June 6-1944, while discharging cargo overside into DUKW's.

The following can be found under Fri. 9 March, 1945 - Europe on the website Hyperwar:
(source The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II, Robert J. Cressman)

"Submarine chaser PC-564, outgunned and badly damaged, manages to outrun the German force engaged late on 8 March and is grounded on the French coast at Pierre de Herpin light. French fishing boats arrive to help the wounded, and the next day, PC-564 is towed into St. Malo harbor. Shortly after PC-564 is knocked out of action, German raiding party attacks Granville, demolishing installations, releasing German POWs held there, and sinking small British freighters Kyle Castle, Nephrite, and Parkwood, and Norwegian merchantman Heien. The Germans seize collier Eskwood and tow her to Jersey, in the Channel Islands. German minesweeper M 412 runs aground and is blown up when it is realized that extricating her from her predicament is impossible in the time allowed".

Note that Heien is not listed as sunk in any of my Norwegian sources.

POST WAR:

Sold to Germany in 1950 (Wilhelm Joerk, Hamburg) and renamed Kapt Wilh Joerk. Broken up in Germany in the spring of 1955.

Related external links:
OB convoys - OB 232 is included.

Normandy 1944

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

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, E-mails from Roger W. Jordan - and misc.