M/T Hidlefjord

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

Crew List

On Dec. 8-1940 Hidlefjord reported being fired upon by a mysterious vessel from a distance of 8 n. miles, giving the position 05 20N 12 33W. The vessel was headed in the opposite direction, and Hidlefjord's captain had observed 5 "splashes" in the water 2 n. miles away. Identity unknown.

Final Fate - 1941:

Hidlefjord is listed in Convoy OB 275, which left Liverpool on Jan. 18-1941; no destination is given, but it looks like she must have been en route to Aruba. She left Aruba on Febr. 2-1941 with a cargo of 10 604 tons of pool motor spirit for Barry Roads via Bermuda, leaving Bermuda on March 9 in convoy BHX 114. This was a "feeder" convoy which joined up with the main convoy from Halifax at sea - follow the link for more on this convoy. (Hidlefjord had been scheduled for the previous Convoys HX 111, HX 112 and HX 113).

At about 09:30 on April 1-1941 she was attacked and set on fire by aircraft (KG 27) off Milford Haven (about 10 miles off Smalls). The crew had been ordered below deck when the 3 German aircraft were seen approaching, flying very low. The first aircraft opened fire at the wheelhouse where the helmsman, Able Seaman Hushovd was mortally wounded. When passing the forward part of the wheelhouse the aircraft dropped 2 bombs which detonated in tank No. 2 on the port side, immediately setting the cargo on fire, with the flames spreading very quickly. The lifeboats amidships were lowered, but the port boat caught on fire before it reached the water, while the motorboat drifted into the flames with 1 man in it. Only the starboard gig was successfully launched with 2 men. Those who were still amidships jumped overboard and tried to swim towards it but only 2 reached it.

The 4 were picked up by the escorting York City about half an hour later, as was the 2nd engineer who was floating on his lifevest, but no one else was found (the captain had jumped overboard at the same time as the steward and the 2 were together in the water for a while).

The survivors were landed at Milford Haven and taken to Sailors Rest, before being sent to Cardiff on Apr. 2 where the maritime hearings were held at the Norwegian Consulate on Apr. 4 with all 5 survivors appearing.

The ship had been abandoned northwest of Smalls, presumed sunk on April 2 (170° 12 m from Tuskar Rock).

The British San Conrado is also listed as sunk in the attack on Apr. 1, no casualties. 3 ships were damaged, the Norwegian Kaia Knudsen being one of them. "The World's Merchant Fleets, Roger W. Jordan, says San Conrado was abandoned, taken in tow, then reboarded but bombed and abandoned again - still on fire the following day 170° 12 m from Tuskar Rock, eventually sank.

Crew List:
A visitor to my website (Kevin Peyton) has told me that Captain Gullestad is buried in a small cemetery in County Wexford, Ireland. He adds:
"His body was washed up there (Cullenstown Strand), but it was only 20 or so years later that my uncle was able to get in contact with his family in Norway. They later visited the grave and erected a simple memorial".

Survivors:
1st Mate Nicol Hjort Olsen	3rd Mate Johannes Bunes	Able Seaman/Gunner Anton K. Fredriksen	2nd Engineer Egil Arnesen	Steward Olav Bjune
Casualties:
† Captain Hans Gullestad	† 2nd Mate Yngve Kleppang	† Radio Operator Bertrand O. Vigdal	† Boatswain Martin A. Monsås	† Able Seaman Johan Anton Olsen	† Able Seaman Oskar Peder Jensen
† Able Seaman Arne Brekke	† Able Seaman Steffen Hushovd	† Able Seaman Lewis Wilfred Cox * (British)	† Ordinary Seaman Eugen Olsen	† Ordinary Seaman Malvin Aas	† Jr. Ordinary Seaman Otto Sorte
† Deck Boy Frederick G. Johnsen (South Africa)	† Deck Boy Edward C. Johnson (South Africa)	† 1st Engineer Bent Flørenes **	† 3rd Engineer Arne Olsen	† Assistant Herman Grønnevik	† Mechanic John R. Berg
† Mechanic Erling Jacobsen	† Mechanic Hjalmar Børsholm	† Pump Man Sigurd Bore	† Oiler Alfred Myklebust	† Oiler Thoralf Øxnevad	† Oiler Finn Figved
† Engine Boy Kenneth Noland (South Africa)	† Engine Boy Henry Pellman (South Africa)	† Cook Arne Andersen	† Stewardess Margaret Flørenes ** (Australian?)	† Mess Boy John Wagner (South Africa)

Related external link:
More on the Norwegians - Some of the names are spelt a little differently at this memorial for seamen in Stavern, Norway.

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

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Volume I (Norwegian Maritime Museum), "The World's Merchant Fleets", Roger W. Jordan, and misc. (ref. My sources).