M/S Kronprinsen
Updated Oct. 14-2009

See also this article on U-boat attack

To Kronprinsen on the "Ships starting with K" page.


This picture was received from Tore Setså, who says the source is A. Duncan.

Misc. Convoy Voyages:

For information on voyages made in between those mentioned here, please see the documents received from the Norwegian archives and Hague's Voyage Record above. Follow the convoy links provided for more details on them, several Norwegian ships took part.

As mentioned, Kronprinsen was taken over at Clyde on Apr. 27-1942. Already on May 1 we find her in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 91*. She was bound for New York, where she arrived on May 17, the convoy having been dispersed on May 15. See also Page 1.

According to J. Rohwer, Kronprinsen was in Convoy BX 23A on June 9-1942 when she was torpedoed and damaged by U-432 (Schultze), position 42 53N 67 11W. This convoy is available via the external link provided within the Voyage Record, and Kronprinsen is indeed included. It originated in Portland, Maine on June 8 and arrived Halifax 2 days later; Kronprinsen had sailed from New York on June 7. The Norwegian Alar, Norheim, Stiklestad and Thorstrand are also listed. Barbara Mumford has sent me some information from Mitchell & Sawyer's "Empire Ships" which adds that she was on a voyage from Baltimore to the U.K. at the time (so she was probably en route to Halifax in order to join an eastbound convoy from there, possibly HX 194?). Her stern was blown off, and her deck cargo on fire. She was towed in and beached at Pubnico Fairway to discharge cargo, including carbide. Temporary repairs were made, then on July 23-1942 she was towed to Halifax, and on Oct. 9 to Boston, Mass. and repaired. I've added an interesting article on this incident, w/pictures - follow the link. The British Malayan Prince was also damaged in the attack by U-432.

On Apr. 6-1943 Kronprinsen, with a general cargo and fuel, can be found in station 65 of Convoy HX 233 from New York to the U.K. She also carried 4 passengers on this voyage, and arrived Manchester, via Liverpool and Eastham, on Apr. 23. At the beginning of June that same year, she joined the westbound Convoy ON 187* in order to sail to Philadelphia, where she arrived on June 16. From the U.S., she now travelled to Alexandria - again, see Page 1 as well as Page 2 of the archive documents for details on her subsequent voyages.

A little over a year later, I have her in Convoy GUS 48, which had departed Port Said on Aug. 3-1944. Kronprinsen, however, joined the convoy from Alexandria on Aug. 4 and arrived New York on the 27th.

In Febr.-1945, she's listed in Convoy MKS 83*, which left Gibraltar on Febr. 14 and arrived Liverpool on the 22nd - Kronprinsen arrived Gravesend that day.

* The ON convoys mentioned here are available and will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course, along with further details on each. In the meantime, the ships sailing in them (and escorts) are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. The MKS convoys will also be added, but for now, please see ships in all MKS convoys.

Some Arctic Convoys Confusion:

J. R. Hegland ("Nortraships flåte") states that two Norwegian ships took part in the last convoy to Russia, Convoy JW 67, namely Kong Haakon VII and Kronprinsen, adding that they were both in Kirkenes when the war was finally over on May 8-1945. This last piece of info does not fit with the dates for Convoy JW 67, which sailed from Clyde on May 12 with 26 ships, arriving the Kola Inlet on May 20. Besides, Bob Ruegg/Arnold Hague ("Convoys to Russia") name 3 other Norwegian ships in this convoy: Roald Amundsen, Egerø and Ivaran; there's no mention at all of Kong Haakon VII and Kronprinsen. However, both of them show up in the earlier Convoy JW 66, departing Clyde with 27 ships on Apr. 16-1945*, arriving the Kola Inlet without losses on Apr. 25. Kronprinsen and Egerø returned with the last convoy out, RA 67, leaving the Kola Inlet with 25 ships on May 23-1945. Kronprinsen is said to have been ordered to the U.S. after this, but according to Page 2, she sailed from Clyde on June 6 and arrived Montevideo on 26th, proceeding to Freetown and Las Palmas 2 days later.

From Page 3, we learn that she went home to Norway in Aug.-1945, making more voyages home later that year, and again in Febr.-1946.

*In the book "Sjøfolk i krig" there's a personal account stating that Kong Haakon VII was in Liverpool in Apr.-1945, loading sacks of flour and also other supplies meant for the aid of Finnmark, before joining Kronprinsen in a convoy, which is again given as JW 67, but as mentioned, this is the wrong designation. The account says that as the convoy was off the east of Finnmark the 2 Norwegian ships were ordered to leave the convoy and proceed to Kirkenes, adding they were still there on May 8. The fact that Kronprinsen can be found again in Convoy RA 67 towards the end of that month, would indicate that she went back to Murmansk at some point. (See also this Guestbook message).

POST WAR:

as per "Empire Ships"

1945: Olsen & Ugelstad, Norway. 1952: Vori - Cia. Nav. Porto Alegre S.A. Panama. 1967: Lukia M - Liminship Cia. Nav., Greece. Sprang a leak in Yellow Sea on Febr. 10-1969, 50 miles southwest of Barren Island, 29 29N 124 16E (voyage Safaga/Korea). Abandoned. Later towed to Shanghai. Reported subsequently seized by Government of People's Republic of China. No further trace.

Related external link:
The Empire Ships - Empire Fairbairn can be found on this page.

Back to Kronprinsen on the "Ships starting with K" page.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøfolk i krig", Leif M. Bjørkelund, "Convoys to Russia", Bob Ruegg & Arnold Hague, and misc. others as named in the above text.