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M/S Ida Bakke To Ida Bakke on the "Ships starting with I" page. Manager: Christian Haaland, Haugesund Delivered in Nov.-1938 from A/B Götaverken, Gothenburg as cargoliner Ida Bakke to D/S A/S Idaho (Christian Haaland), Haugesund. On TC to Knut Knutsen O.A.S., Haugesund and placed in the Knutsen Line - South Pacific UK Service (Europe-USA-west coast of South America). This line was started in 1935, and being the son-in-law of Knut Knutsen O.A.S., Christian Haaland had ships in the line from the very start (on TC basis). Between April 9-1940 and Jan. 1-1945 Ida Bakke had sailed 340 795 miles, having visited 167 ports. Some of the men on board had served all through the war, many since delivery in 1938. Among them were: Captain: Knut Meling (from 1940, previous captain had been Anton Zakariassen, who died in Lima, Peru).
Captain Anton Zakariassen. In the fall of 1939 Ida Bakke rescued 42 men from the tanker British Influence which had been sunk by a German U-boat (U-29, Schuhart, Sept. 14-1939). Ida Bakke had been in Liverpool on Sept. 3 and I believe she was en route to the U.S. via Panama and was about 150 n. miles west of Ireland when a periscope was spotted. The U-boat came to the surface to inform them a ship had been sunk and told them where to find the lifeboats from British Influence. (The rescued men were landed near Fastnet Light). Ida Bakke then continued on her way, but the following day she received a distress call from yet another ship, the tanker Cheyenne which was being shelled by a U-boat (U-53, Heinicke, Sept. 15). By the time the Norwegian ship arrived on the scene Cheyenne had been torpedoed and had broken in 2, with both parts still floating. Behind them a British destroyer appeared, fired at the U-boat which submerged, whereupon the destroyer headed towards shore again, leaving the shipwrecked in the hands of Ida Bakke's crew. 39 were picked up and subsequently landed near Fastnet Light. While continuing her voyage, Ida Bakke, which had 12 passengers on board, was redirected to Havana, then to New Orleans for a cargo of cotton for Norway. T. Eriksen, Norway has told me she passed the Panama Canal on Nov. 7-1939, and as per Jan. 29-1940 she was en route from Panama to Kingston, Jamaica. Arrived Liverpool on Febr. 8-1940.
Captain Knut Meling. Ida Bakke was in San Fransisco when the war started in Norway on Apr. 9-1940, most of the crew hearing the news while at a movie theater (the movie was interrupted and the news announced over the loudspeakers). Departed Halifax on May 16-1940 in convoy HX 43, which arrived Liverpool on May 31. Ida Bakke had a general cargo for Glasgow, sailing in station 11 (having been cancelled from the previous convoys, HX 39, HX 40 and HX 41). The Norwegian Laurits Swenson, Vivi and Sildra also sailed in this convoy. Ida Bakke was one of the 15 allied merchant ships (5 were Norwegian) which carried the gold belonging to Norges Bank from Gt. Britain to Canada in June of 1940. Ida Bakke departed Liverpool with the gold on June 23* (unescorted?), arriving Montreal on July 2. M/S Bomma has a detailed account on how the gold was smuggled out of Norway.
She was subsequently in service between Canada and the east coast of the U.S., later between the U.S. and India, via Panama. On Dec. 25-1940 she was en route to Calcutta. She was also in Calcutta on June 6-1941, as were the Haugesund ships Promise and Utsire. Ida Bakke had arrived Singapore on Dec. 6-1941 and was still there loading rubber when the Japanese attacked, but was able to get out on the evening of Dec. 13, arriving Cape Town on Dec. 30, via Rangoon on Dec. 23. From Cape Town she continued to New York where the rubber was discharged, having arrived at the end of Jan.-1942. As per Febr. 2 she had been at Hoboken near New York for engine repairs and the installation of anti aircraft guns, then took on board a cargo of ammunition. In the book "Sjøfolk i krig" by Leif M. Bjørkeland there are several personal stories told by Ida Bakke's crew members. The book is largely based on interviews with seamen 50 years after the war. Rasmus Meland, who had previously served on D/S Sydfold (pre war) and M/S Vigrid served on Ida Bakke from 1942 and in this book his memories of the ship's last few voyages of the war are included.
Rasmus Meland says she was in the Cunard Line at the end of the war and had 2 round trips U.S.A.-Gt. Britain in large, fast convoys* (on one of those voyages Knut Knutsen's M/S Martin Bakke, bound for Antwerp, was also part of the convoy). Ida Bakke arrived River Mersey on May 5-1945, 3 days before the war was over. The days in Liverpool celebrating peace were of course memorable to all, but even more so to the Norwegians was the day they departed, which happened to be May 17, Norway's Constitution Day. Ida Bakke was Commodore Ship on this occasion. Rasmus Meland says he visited the radio room and listened to the broadcast from Norway where the 17th of May celebrations were in full swing, with the well known Norwegian songs being played in the broadcasts from various cities along the Norwegian coast. It's easy to imagine what this must have felt like to a seaman who had been through so many hardships and dangers for many years.
In the company's Concordia Line from 1948. Renamed Concordia Foss in 1954. Renamed Nyhavn in 1965 while under a 6 months T/C to Nedloyd Line, then got the name Concordia Foss back in 1966 at the end of the TC. Sold on Dec. 8-1969 to I/S Margrete (Torvald Klaveness), Oslo, and renamed Foss. Sold, and delivered to Tan Weng Shipbreaking Co. Ltd., Hong Kong on Febr. 21-1970.
Back to Ida Bakke on the "Ships starting with I" page. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Våre motorskip", Leif M. Bjørkelund/E. H. Kongshavn, E-mails from T. Eriksen, Norway, "The Allied Convoy System", Arnold Hague, "Sjøfolk i krig", Leif M. Bjørkelund.
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