M/S Laurits Swenson - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

M/S Laurits Swenson

To Laurits Swenson on the "Ships starting with L" page.

Manager: Fred. Olsen & Co., Oslo Tonnage: 5725 gt	Scanned from Fred. Olsen & Co. fleet list, with permission from the company.
Built by Odense Staalskibsværft, Denmark 1930, for the Pacific Line. Captain: ? Rød.	Source: Roger W. Jordan collection (sent to me for inclusion on this website).

Some of Laurits Swenson's Convoy Voyages:

In May-1940, Laurits Swenson is listed in the Bermuda portion of Convoy HX 43, bound for Liverpool with a cargo of grain and fruit. The Norwegian Ida Bakke, Vivi and Sildra also sailed in this convoy. In Sept. that year she's mentioned in a report for Convoy HX 71, and the following month she shows up in Convoy OB 226, which left Liverpool on Oct. 9-1940. Her destination on that occasion was Hampton Roads, station 62. More info on the latter convoy is available at the first external link provided below.

She was in Convoy HX 102 in Jan.-1941, bound for Liverpool with a general cargo, joining from Bermuda, and in June-1941 she sailed in HX 130 along with a number of other Norwegian ships. Laurits Swenson was again bound for Liverpool with a general cargo, sailing in station 63 of the convoy, having joined from Bermuda. In Sept. that year she was in Convoy HX 151 (name given as Swenson only, but I assume it should be Laurits Swenson) along with the Norwegian Dagrun (station 54), Sama (85), San Andres (105), Meline (43), Morgenen (93), Belinda, Thorshøvdi (53), Sophocles (left the convoy and sailed independently), Tigre (44), Hardanger (94), Leiv Eiriksson (24). This convoy left Halifax on Sept. 22 and arrived Liverpool on Oct. 7. Later that month, Laurits Swenson, bound for Vancouver, joined the westbound Convoy ON 28*, as did the Norwegian Polartank, Brant County and several other Norwegian ships. When the convoy was located by U-boats on Oct. 29 the Admiralty redirected it and ordered the fastest ships (including the 3 Norwegian ones) to proceed independently. Arnold Hague ("The Allied Convoy System") says this convoy departed Liverpool on Oct. 20 and was dispersed in 42 23N 58 44W, Nov. 3-1941. 43 ships, 1 damaged (the American Salinas by U-106 on Oct. 30).

In Febr.-1942 she's listed as bound for New York in the westbound Convoy ON 69*, returning to the U.K. in March with Convoy HX 182. In May she sailed in the westbound Convoy ON 91*, general cargo for New York, heading back to the U.K. the following month with Convoy HX 193. Early in July she's listed as bound for New York with the westbound Convoy ON 109*, and in Aug.-1942 she was in Convoy HX 202, general cargo for Mersey. For her return voyage across the ocean she joined Convoy ON 127 on Sept. 4, station 41, and witnessed several ships being sunk before deciding to leave the convoy on Sept. 11 after the 5th attack, and subsequently made it safely to her destination on her own. The following month she's listed in Convoy HX 210, which departed New York City on Oct. 1-1942. Cargo is given as "valuables and explosives" and she sailed in station 33 of the convoy, bound for Liverpool. She returned to New York at the beginning of Nov. with the westbound Convoy ON 143*, and in Dec.-1942, she sailed in Convoy HX 218 from New York, again bound for Liverpool, and again with explosives in her cargo, station 43.

From May-1942, till July-1942 Helene Karoline J. Fischer Dale served as a stewardess on this ship. She later went on to become the first Norwegian female radio officer in our fleet. She had previously served as stewardess on Bayard from March-1940 till Dec. that year, and on the same ship from Febr.-1941 till March-1942, before joining Laurits Swenson in the same capacity in May-1942, as mentioned. The following month she started school at Little Norway, Toronto to become a radio operator, and fresh out of school she joined Fred. Olsen's Baalbek as 2nd radio operator in June-1943 (till Sept.-1943), before signing on Alf Lindeberg in Oct.-1943 where she stayed till Dec.-1945. Just 2 days after signing off Alf Lindeberg she joined M/S Fernplant, this time as 1st radio operator, remaining with this ship until March-1946. She was later awarded Krigsmedaljen and Haakon VII Frihetsmedalje - see my Norwegian War Medals page. Many women sailed with the Norwegian fleet during the war; mostly as stewardesses or saloon girls. Norwegian ships also had several female Canadian radio operators; a list of their names can be found at the end of my page about Mosdale. (My mother was also a radio operator, though not during the war. Her ships are named under Åse's Ships).

HX 218, mentioned above, had arrived Liverpool on Dec. 21-1942. Laurits Swenson subsequently returned to the U.S. early in Jan.-1943 with the westbound Convoy ON 159, acting as the Commodore's ship in station 61. She was also Commodore Vessel for Convoy HX 226, departing New York on Febr. 8, arriving Liverpool on the 24th. She was bound for Swansea with general cargo. She subsequently joined the westbound Convoy ON 172* in March, and in Apr. that year she again served as Commodore Vessel, this time for Convoy HX 234, and the Commodore had some good words for the ship and her crew, as can be seen by clicking on the link to this convoy. Laurits Swenson now went back to New York in May with Convoy ON 183*, and in June she was in Convoy HX 243 from New York, departing June 7, arriving Liverpool on the 21st. Laurits Swenson, general cargo for Liverpool, had station 114 of this convoy. The following month we find her listed as bound for New York in the westbound Convoy ON 192*, and was chosen as Commodore Vessel again for her return voyage with Convoy HX 251 in Aug. (Commodore was Sir R.A.R. Plunket-Ernle-Erle-Drax). Her cargo is given as general and explosives, destination Liverpool in station 81. In Sept.-1943 she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 200* and must have gone back to the U.K. because at the beginning of Nov. that year she appears in the westbound Convoy ON 209*. Convoy HX 269, for which she again acted as Commodore Vessel in Dec.-1943 is not available in my Convoys section.

In Jan.-1944 she joined the westbound Convoy ON 219*, returning to the U.K. in Febr. with Convoy HX 279, general cargo for Liverpool. The following month she shows up in the westbound Convoy ON 228*, going back to the U.K. in Apr. that year with Convoy HX 288, for which R.G. Clayton acted as Commodore in Laurits Swenson. In May-1944 she joined the westbound Convoy ON 237*.

In the summer of 1944 the Germans started using the V 1 bombs, and the first Norwegian report of such a bomb came from Laurits Swenson, which had arrived London on July 31, having sailed from New York with Convoy HX 299, yet again acting as Commodore Vessel (Commodore J. K. Brook), with the Norwegian Høyanger as Vice Commodore's ship. Ships in port were in danger day and night from these bombs, as they could, of course, not defend themselves against them with their own armament. My father also experienced the V 1, and later the V 2, while going to Radio Officer's school in London. See his interesting and, at times, quite amusing account in one of his letters (Letter No. 4). Laurits Swenson departed London on Aug. 11, later joining convoy ON 249* in order to go back to New York. She's listed again as returning to the U.K. with Convoy HX 309 in Sept.-1944 (Vice Commodore), bound for Glasgow with general cargo. In Oct.-1944 we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 259*, and in Nov./Dec.-1944 she's listed as Vice Commodore Vessel for Convoy HX 323, bound for Liverpool with general cargo. Christmas that year was spent while in the westbound Convoy ON 274*.

Laurits Swenson, general cargo for London, again acted as Commodore Vessel for Convoy HX 337 in Febr.-1945 (having cancelled from the previous convoy, HX 336). She returned across the ocean in March with Convoy ON 291*, then acted as Commodore Vessel again for Convoy HX 351 in Apr./May-1945 (Commodore Sir R.A.R. Plunket-Ernle-Erle-Drax). HX 351, which unfortunately is not available to me, left New York on Apr. 18 and arrived Liverpool on May. 3. At the end of May she shows up in the last ON convoy of the war, namely ON 305*.

* All 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, please go to these convoys in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. As will be seen, all of them had several Norwegian ships.

POST WAR:

Sold in 1963. Arrived at Hong Kong on Sept. 5-1963 to be broken up.

Related external links:
OB convoys - OB 226 is included.

ON-127, 9-14 Sept 1942

Fi-103/V-1 "Buzz Bomb" - Detailed description and several pictures.

Lesser known facts of WW II - scroll down to "Flying Bombs", almost at the end of the page.

For your information, the Australian War Memorial has several photos of V 1 and V 2 bombs - they can can be found through the collection search page of the site. One picture has the caption: A sectional drawing of a German V-1 Flying bomb, another has the caption: A sectionalised drawing showing the component parts of a German V-2 rocket (also designated A-4), and a third has the caption: Belgium. 1944-12. The first picture of the German V2 Flying Bomb which fell in Belgium.

Fred Olsen & Co. today

To Laurits Swenson on the "Ships starting with L" page.