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D/S Jan Mayen

To Jan Mayen on the "Ships starting with J" page.

Owner: A/S Jan Mayen
Manager: Johan Koppernæs, Ålesund
Tonnage:
399 gt, 143 net.
Signal Letters: BFSG

Buillt in Bergen 1915 (1914?). Previous name: Rikard Kaarbö.

Captain: Arnold B. Gjertsen

Jan Mayen is listed as sailing in Convoy RU 32 from Reykjavik to the U.K. in July-1942; her destination is given as Hull.

 Final Fate - 1943: 

Jan Mayen departed Hafnafjord, Iceland on Jan. 17-1943 and arrived Keflavik that same day (a voyage of about 2 1/2 hours) where she loaded a cargo of about 175 tons fish before starting on her return voyage to Hafnafjord the next morning, Jan. 18. About 1 1/2 hour after departure she ran into the reef at Leirabodi near Reykjavik. A fishing vessel was called upon to report the incident to Reykjavik, the lifeboats were launched and manned. Not long afterwards, D/S Kongshavn came out from Hafnafjord (en route to Akranes) and in reply to Jan Mayen's signal with the steam whistle she altered course and anchored nearby. 9 crew members went on board in the port boat, while 6 remained on board Jan Mayen. An American motorboat then came out and offered to take them on board, but as they had their own motorboat, only the captain accepted the offer, while the rest were taken aboard an American tug that came out. By that time the engine room was flooded and the after part of Jan Mayen had sunk so they could not stay on board any longer. She was broken up by the sea in the subsequent days and became a total loss..

Hearings were held in Reykjavik on Jan. 22-1943.

Crew List - No casualties:

Captain
Arnold B. Gjertsen
1st Mate
Nils Eilertsen
2nd Mate
Harald Wigestrand
Able Seaman
Rolf Eugen Eriksen
Able Seaman
Johannes Brandal
Able Seaman
Indahl Hansen
Able Seaman
Eilef Øygarden
1st Engineer
Henrik Bigset
2nd Engineer
Arne Thorvaldsen
Stoker
Johan Kristiansen
Stoker
Harald Kadak
(Estonian)
Stoker
E. A. Pettersen
(Swedish)
Steward
Sivert Egseth
Mess Boy
Ragnar Andersen
(Icelandic)
Gunner
Paul Georg Loe

Back to Jan Mayen on the "Ships starting with J" page.

Another Jan Mayen (whaler, 575 gt) was being built at Kaldnes mek. Verksted (121) in 1942, ordered by the Germans, delivered in 1944 as vorpostenboot. In May-1945 this vessel was requisitioned in Tønsberg by allied forces, then transferred to the Ministry of War Transport in 1946. Renamed Empire Janus. Sold in Aug.-1947 to Chr. Salvesen & Co., Leith and renamed Southern Main. Broken up in Odense, Denmark in Dec.-1964. (Source: Ulf W. Gustavsen, Norway). Empire Janus is included on the Empire Ships website. See also this thread on my Ship Forum, as well as this one.

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) - (ref. My sources).

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