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D/S Komet To Komet on the "Ships starting with K" page. Manager: H. Tangvald-Pedersen, Porsgrunn Delivered in Aug.-1912 from Laxevaags Maskin- & Jernskibsbyggeri, Bergen as Pluto to B. Stolt-Nielsen e.a., Haugesund. 229.3' x 35.2' x 15.9', Triple exp. 123 nhp (Laxevaag). Transferred in July-1916 to D/S A/S Pluto (same managers). Taken as prize on Nov. 3-1916 in the North Sea by UB-21 and used as transport vessel by the German Army. Taken as French prize in March-1917. From 1920 she sailed as Charles Schiaffino of Algeria, from 1923 as Komet of Christiania (Oslo), from July-1935 she belonged to H. Tangvald-Pedersen, Porsgrunn. Captain WW II: Adler Røstad. Komet is listed in Convoy HN 8 from Norway to the U.K. in Jan.-1940. Early in March we find her in the U.K.-Norway Convoy ON 17A. She must have gotten out of Norway somehow, because she was later in allied control. Komet (bound for Nantes) was scheduled for Convoy OA 157, which left Southend on May 28-1940, but did not sail. (See the external links at the end of this page).
Caught up in the evacuations from France in the summer of 1940. Komet left Caen on June 17 for Grangemouth with a part cargo of ammunition, but was attacked and sunk by German aircraft just off the coast. She was attacked twice, the first time by 3 aircraft at 16:00 when about 25 miles off the shore. In addition to firing with machine guns, 3 bombs were dropped, but none hit the ship. This attack lasted about an hour. The second attack (by 7 aircraft, smaller than the first 3) took place about 10 miles from shore at 18:00, lasting about 20 minutes. The captain was killed by a machine gun bullet and 1st Engineer Harald Pedersen fatally injured, several others wounded. A French patrol vessel picked up the entire crew, including the captain and took them to Cherbourg. The injured engineer was taken to hospital in Bayeux, but he died on June 20 and was buried there along with the captain. The crew left Cherbourg with the British troops that same day on the ferry Antwerp, arriving Southampton that night. Maritime hearings were held in London on June 21-1940 with the 1st mate, the 2nd mate, the 2nd engineer and Able Seaman Grødal appearing.. An article in the 3rd issue of "Krigsseileren" for 1983 states that the vessel that picked up the survivors was a fishing vessel and adds that Captain Røsten was buried at Port-en-Bessin. The French fishermen later joind the resistance movement, and all through the war they tended the captain's grave, then continued to do so for years after the war. Later, they got in touch with his family so that they could come and visit the gravesite.
Crew List:
Back to Komet on the "Ships starting with K" page. Norway had previously had another Komet, originally delivered in 1892 as Beacon Rock to owners in Glasgow, 1917 gt, sold to Norway in 1910 and renamed Komet for Daniel Steens Rederi. Later sailed as Cate for Brøvigs Rederi, Farsund from 1913, sold for breaking up in 1923. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Våre gamle skip", Leif M. Bjørkelund & E. H. Kongshavn (pre war history), "Krigsseileren" No. 3 for 1983, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Norwegian Maritime Museum, Volume I, and misc. (ref. My sources).
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