M/S Kronprinsessen

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

("Kronprinsessen" means "the Crown Princess").
Most of the "Empire"-named ships that were transferred from the British to the Norwegian flag during the war years were given the prefix "Nor" and some were named after members of the exiled Norwegian Royal Family.

Took on board some British naval personnel and equipment bound for Tristan da Cunha and the Falklands where the British had radio stations. Departed Cape Town on March 2 for Walvis Bay to join a convoy, then departed in convoy the following day, though left the convoy after 3 days to continue south to Tristan da Cunha alone (the convoy was bound for the Caribbean) where some of the passengers were disembarked, then continued for the Falklands the same day, March 13, arriving Port Stanley on March 23 where the rest of the passengers were disembarked the next day. Departed for Punta Arenas, Argentina on March 24, from there to Valparaiso on March 27.

In May-1943 she can be found among the ships in Convoy HX 241, which originated in New York on May 25. Kronprinsessen joined the convoy from Halifax on May 29, taking up station 84. She was bound for Manchester with general cargo, and was the only Norwegian ship joining from Halifax, but others had joined in New York. At the end of July that same year she sailed in Convoy HX 250 from New York, her destination Liverpool, general cargo.

In Convoy UGS 36 to Port Said in March/April-1944, consisting of 72 (79?) merchant ships and 18 landing crafts, escorted by 11 American destroyers. In Gibraltar the British cruiser (anti aircraft) Colombo was added, while 2 Dutch and 4 British vessels were 6 n. miles ahead of the convoy on look-out for U-boats. The convoy was attacked on April 1 (in the Mediterranean*) by 20 two-motor Do-217's, 3 of which were shot down, 1 ship was damaged (this according to "Nortraships flåte"). The convoy had departed Hampton Roads on March 14 and arrived Port Said on Apr. 9-1944.

* German bombers, stationed in the south of France posed a more serious threat to allied shipping in the Mediterranean than the U-boats did at this time, their primary goal being the large UGS convoys from the U.S. carrying supplies to the allied forces in Italy. On the other hand, the convoys' anti aircraft defence system was very strong, with aircraft patrolling night and day. Additionally, the merchant ships' own armament played a part in the defence, as did the squadrons stationed in North Africa and the special anti aircraft cruisers which often joined the escorts from Gibraltar, as well as the radar installations in the escorts which could detect the aircraft early and thereby give the convoys time to prepare for attack.

In Aug.-1944 she sailed in Convoy HX 304 from New York, bound for Liverpool with a cargo of sugar, then in Oct. that year she shows up in Convoy HX 312, joining with the Sydney section of the convoy, bound for Liverpool with a cargo of grain. At the end of the following month she can be found in Convoy HX 323, bound for Avonmouth with cargo of grain, again having joined the convoy from Sydney, C.B. - follow the links for a list of other ships in these convoys.

In Jan.-1945 she's listed in the Halifax portion of the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 333, bound for London with grain.

POST WAR:

In Sept.-1945 Kronprinsessen arrived Oslo and Bergen from South America. Sailed as Polytrader for E. Rasmussen, Norway from 1946, Flora M for Marenviadio Cia. Nav. (L. G. Matsas, Greece) from 1962. Came under Liberian flag 1965. Arrived Mihara on Dec. 27-1968 for breaking up.

Related external link:
The Empire Ships - On the "Mariners" website. Empire Latimer can be found on this page. (Details on her post war history is a little different here - not sure which is correct).

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

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, some info received from Barbara Mumford (her source: Mitchell & Sawyer's "Empire Ships"), "Krigsseileren", Issue No. 4 for 1997, and misc. (ref. My sources).