M/T Leiesten
Updated Jan. 3-2008

To Leiesten on the "Ships starting with L" page.

Crew List

Some Convoy Voyages - 1940-1941:

Leiesten, with lub. oil for Milford Haven, was in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 18 in Jan./Febr.-1940 (as was the Norwegian William Blumer). She's also listed among the ships in Convoy OB 111, departing Liverpool on March 16-1940. Her voyage information is given as Liverpool - Philadelphia, and she had station 32 of the convoy, which is available at the external link provided below. The following month we find her in station 14 of Convoy HX 35, and in June she's listed as bound for New York in Convoy OB 164, which left Liverpool on June 9 and dispersed 3 days later. In July-1940 she sailed in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 57, having been cancelled from HX 56. In Sept. she shows up, with no voyage information, in Convoy OB 214 (departed Liverpool Sept. 15, dispersed Sept. 18), and the following month she sailed in Convoy HX 83, joining with the Bermuda portion on Oct. 27. Towards the end of that year she's listed in Convoy OB 259, which left Liverpool on Dec. 14-1940 and dispersed on the 17th. Her destination is given as Baytown - again, see the external links below for more info on the OB convoys mentioned here.

In Jan./Febr.-1941 she was in Convoy HX 106 (again joining from Bermuda - having been cancelled from Convoy BHX 104), and at the beginning of March she joined Convoy OB 293 (departure Liverpool March 2, dispersed March 8). In May that year she was scheduled for Convoy HX 125, but instead joined HX 127 a little over a week later, cargo of lub. oil for Loch Ewe.

Leiesten struck a mine off North Foreland on June 30-1941, Convoy EC 40 (external link). She was damaged, but no one was injured. She was towed back to London for repairs.

In Nov.-1941 we find her in station 86 of the westbound Convoy ON 32, bound for Curacao, returning to the U.K. with Convoy HX 164 the following month. This turned out to be her last eastbound North Atlantic crossing.

Final Fate - 1942:

Leiesten departed Liverpool on Jan.-12-1942, voyage Manchester - Baton Rouge in ballast, Convoy ON 56 (she had initially started out in Convoy ON 54, but had to return to port with defects, later joining ON 56, which was dispersed on the 16th. Both will be added to my Convoys section - in the meantime, please go to these convoys in the section listing ships in all ON convoys).

She was struck in the engine room by two torpedoes from U-82 (Rollmann) on Jan. 23, position 45 27N 43 19W. An enormous explosion occurred, which killed the chief engineer and 3 (4?) of his men, as well as injuring several others. The captain told the 2nd mate to take the injured into a lifeboat, while he himself remained on board, along with 11 others in an effort to try and save the ship, but the U-boat appeared and started shelling, so they jumped overboard and managed to get onto a raft. The British messboy Joseph Vine hesitated too long and was believed to have been killed on board by the shelling.

The survivors were rescued after 32 hours by the Greek S/S Agios Georgios and taken to Halifax on Jan. 30. Hearings were held there on Febr. 10-1942 with the captain, the 1st mate, the 3rd mate and the steward appearing.

Charles Hocking simply gives the position for the attack as 400 miles east/southeast of Cape Race. Roger Jordan's "The World's Merchant Fleets 1939" says 6 died, 23 survived. Rohwer does not mention Leiesten being shelled.

Crew List:
1st Mate Johansen later sailed on G. C. Brøvig for the remainder of the war.

Survivors
Captain Nils Jespersen	1st Mate Johannes Johansen	2nd Mate Albert Ossteim (Østheim?)	3rd Mate Arne Johnsrud	Radio Operator Othmar Flåten	Boatswain Odd Olsen
Able Seaman Samuel Sørensen	Able Seaman Ola Byre	Able Seaman Odd Olfsen	Able Seaman Johan Møller	Able Seaman Ivar Skjelbred	Able Seaman Nils Overmark (Danish)
Able Seaman Robert Dalbak	Able Seaman Erik Jakobsen (Danish)	Able Seaman Gunnar Løvendal	Deck Boy Douglas Hodgson (British)	Deck Boy Audun Rydlandsholm	Deck Boy John Hall (British)
3rd Engineer Øivind Moe	4th Engineer Gunnar Christiansen	Mechanic Arne Johansen	Mechanic Klaus Karlsen	Mechanic Johan Mosberg	Engine Boy Wilfred Jenkinson (British)
Engine Boy Walter Smith (British)	Engine Boy Norman Coe (British)	Steward Haakon Halvorsen	Cook Jens Jensen	Galley Boy Arthur Connel (Canadian)	Saloon Boy Leslie Todd (British)
Casualties
† 1st Engineer Carsten Hansen	† 2nd Engineer Thomas Jacobsen	† Mechanic Malvin Tortnes	† Mechanic Alf Nordby	† Mess Boy Joseph Vine * (British)	+ 1 more? see * below

Related external links:
5 Norwegians who died - In addition to the 4 listed above (names spelt a little differently) there's a Mechanic *Klaus Tjensvold commemorated at this memorial in Stavern, Norway - perhaps he had died previously(?) or my list above is missing one name. In fact, most sources say 29 survived, 6 died. It's possible the Klaus Karlsen listed as survivor was identical to Klaus Tjensvoll, and is wrongly listed as having survived(?). "Våre falne", a series of 4 books listing Norwegian WW II casualties, also states that Klaus Tjensvold lost his life when Leiesten was sunk.

U-82

Back to Leiesten on the "Ships starting with L" page.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Norwegian Maritime Museum, Volume I, and misc. others for cross checking details as named within above text (ref. My sources).