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M/T Innerøy To Innerøy on the "Ships starting with I" page. Manager: Erling H. Samuelsen, Oslo Built by Eriksbergs Mekaniske Verkstads A/B, Gothenburg, Sweden in 1936. Captain: Einar Winsnes. Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives: Please compare the above voyages with Arnold Hague's Voyage Record below.
(Received from Don Kindell - His source: The late Arnold Hague's database). Follow the convoy links provided for more information on each. Errors may exist, and some voyages are missing.
As will be seen when going to Page 1 of the archive documents, Innerøy was in Port Said when war broke out in Norway on Apr. 9-1940, having arrived there from Sourabaya that same day. In March-1941, she's listed in Convoy SL 67, which left Freetown on March 1 and arrived Liverpool on the 26th; Innerøy stopped at Clyde the day before. The following month, we find her in Convoy OB 311, which originated in Liverpool on Apr. 16 and dispersed on the 25th, Innerøy arriving New York May 5 (she had started out from Clyde on Apr. 18, according to the archive document). She headed back to the U.K. on June 26 in Convoy HX 135 from Halifax, bound for Grangemouth with diesel oil in station 82 of the convoy, arriving Grangemouth, via Oban and Methil Roads, on July 15. She returned with the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 2, originating in Liverpool on July 27, dispersed Aug. 8, Innerøy arriving New York on Aug. 12 (she had sailed from Loch Ewe on July 30). She later joined Convoy HX 149 from Halifax on Sept. 10, together with the Norwegian Daghild, Brasil, Thorsholm, Aristophanes, Thorshov, Somerville, Glittre, Lise, Harpefjell, Norvik (Panamanian flag, Norwegian managers and therefore included on this website), Brant County, Abraham Lincoln, President de Vogue, Ringstad and Kollbjørg. Some of these ships, including Innerøy returned across the Atlantic the following month with the westbound Convoy ON 24*, departing Liverpool Oct. 8, dispersed on the 15th, Innerøy arriving Providence, RI on the 25th - see also Page 2. On Nov. 8, she's listed in station 72 of Convoy HX 159 back to the U.K., and the year was rounded off by joining Convoy ON 50*, which originated in Liverpool on Christmas Eve and dispersed on Jan. 3-1942. Her destination on that occasion was Aruba, where she arrived on Jan. 12, continuing to Bermuda the next day, arriving Jan. 19, embarking on her last voyage that same day.
Torpedoed, starboard side by U-553 (Thurmann) on Jan. 22-1942, when en route from Aruba via Bermuda to Halifax (to join an eastbound convoy) with a cargo of 11 000 tons Pool Motor Spirit for the U.K. As already mentioned above, she had sailed from Bermuda on Jan. 19. Position was 41 16N 60 32W* according to a report presented at the subsequent maritime hearings. The explosion occurred near No. 7 tank aft, and ripped the ship open so that flaming petrol gushed out, setting her on fire. The radio operator was able to send out an SOS using the emergency transmitter, but due to the heat of the fire he had to leave the radio station before he had sent the position. Able Seaman Hans Tuft and 1st Mate Rolf Bjerkøy managed to lower a raft from the foredeck on the port side but it disappeared in the flames as the engine was still running and the ship moving. The 1st Mate and 4 others then succeeded in launching the motorboat from the bridge deck. The captain, who had been in his cabin when the torpedo hit, was seen on the bridge on the port side, and they shouted for him to jump overboard, but he did not do so, and they had to row for life to get away from the spreading flames. About half an hour later the U-boat was seen going slowly around their ship, before taking off in a northwesterly direction. They were eventually able to get the motor started and were rescued by the British S/S Empire Amethyst 15 hours later. This ship had previously passed 2 empty lifeboats from Innerøy. The survivors were landed in Halifax. Able Seaman Tuft's hands were badly burnt and needed medical care. He had been at the wheel when the explosion occurred and when he went out on the starboard wing his coat was set ablaze. The hearings were held in Halifax on Febr. 5 with all the survivors appearing except Able Seaman Nilsen.
More details on the Canadian Able Seaman can be found by entering his name in the relevant serach field at the Commonwealth War Graves Comm. website, using WW II and 1942 in the other fields. The only person by the last name of Wills I can find listed as having died on the date Innerøy was sunk is Albert Victor Wills, there's also a James Brocklehurst (all these links are external). Related external links: Back to Innerøy on the "Ships starting with I" 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), and misc. (ref. My sources).
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