D/S Lisbeth - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Related item on this website:
A posting to one of my forums re Lisbeth's radio operator from Sept.-1942.

Misc. War Voyages:

Lisbeth, bound for Portland with a cargo of pulp, was in the Halifax-U.K Convoy HX 52 in June/July-1940, together with several other Norwegian ships. She was also in Convoy SC 11 in which D/S Bruse and D/S Salonica were lost in Nov.-1940, but Lisbeth escaped harm, as did all the other Norwegian ships in this convoy.

The first external webste that I've linked to at the end of this page has her in station 14 of Convoy SL 70, which left Freetown on March 29-1941 and arrived Liverpool on Apr. 23. However, it looks like she did not sail, because she also shows up in the next convoy, SL 71, departing Freetown on Apr. 8. Later that year she can be found in station 12 of Convoy SL 85, departing Freetown on Aug. 25-1941, arriving Liverpool on Sept. 17. Follow the link for names of other Norwegian ships taking part.

Lisbeth witnessed the battle for Convoy HG 76 in December-1941 (Annavore has more info, as do my page about this convoy and the external links at the end of this page). She had a cargo of 4450 tons iron ore from Huelva, and was placed in the first column on the port side of the convoy.

In Jan.-1942 she joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 58*, but returned to port, joining ON 60* a few days later, but again returned (ashore, leaking). Towards the end of Apr. that same year she joined Convoy ON 90*, but must have experienced problems yet again because she's said to have returned, then finally got away in May with Convoy ON 92, bound for Halifax. She subsequently returned to the U.K. the following month with the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 87, cargo of steel and pulp for Liverpool. In July she's listed as bound for Sydney, C.B. in Convoy ON 112*, then went back to the U.K. in Aug. with Convoy SC 98 from Halifax, cargo of aluminium and pulp for Manchester. Several other Norwegian ships are included, as will be seen by following the link. (Lisbeth had been cancelled from the previous convoy, SC 97). Early in Oct. she joined the westbound Convoy ON 136*; her destination was Halifax.

She's also mentioned in connection with westbound Convoy ON 165 in Febr.-1943, however, she could not have been in this convoy because she's listed as sailing in ON 169, bound for Philadelphia. In May that year we find her in station 122 of the westbound Convoy ONS 8*, bound for Halifax.

Lisbeth lost a crew member in June-1943. Engineer Abraham Abrahamsen became ill in March-1943 and was admitted to a hospital in Glasgow (Stobhill Hospital) where he died on June 21 that year. Buried in Sandefjord. Meanwhile, that same month, we find Lisbeth, with a cargo of steel and lumber for Grimsby, in the Sydney, C.B. portion of Convoy SC 135.

Going back to the first external link below, she's listed in Convoy SL 138/MKS 28 in Oct.-1943, in which the Norwegian Hallfried was sunk. Lisbeth was on a voyage from Almeria to Middlesbrough, cargo of iron ore. Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were Kristianiafjord and Norefjord. (MKS 28 is also available on my own site on this page, which also adds the Norwegian Spurt). The following month, in Nov.-1943, she was scheduled to sail in station 13 of Convoy OS 60/KMS 34, but instead joined the next convoy, OS 61/KMS 35, voyage Clyde-Lisbon with coal in station 45.

The same website also has her in Convoy SL 145 / MKS 36 at the beginning of the new year. The SL portion of this convoy had departed Freetown on Jan. 1-1944, joined up with the MKS convoy from Gibraltar on the 12th (in which Lisbeth took part - also available in my own Convoys section on this page), and arrived Liverpool on Jan. 24. Lisbeth had a cargo of oranges and was bound for Liverpool. We also find her in Convoy OS 68/KMS 42 in Febr./March-1944, this time on a voyage from Milford to Lisbon in station 14, and towards the end of March she returned with Convoy SL 152/MKS 43, voyage from Almeria to Workington with iron ore, joining from Gibraltar with the MKS section, together with Astrid, Cetus, Snar and Slemmestad. (All the MKS and KMS convoys will also be added to my own Convoys section - in the meantime, see this section for MKS convoys, and this section for KMS convoys).

* All the westbound 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. ONS 8 is also available - see this page.

POST WAR:

Sold in June-1951 to Henckel & Schander A/B, Gothenburg. From Jan.-1963 she sailed as Panaga Drysiani of Piræus. Damaged by fire on Aug. 27-1968 on a voyage Abu Dahbi-Kuwait. Broken up in Shat al Arab at the beginning of 1970.

Related external links:
SL convoys and OS/KMS Convoys - As can be seen, Lisbeth is mentioned in Convoy SL 70, SL 71 and SL 85, as well as in SL 138/MKS 28, OS 60/KMS 34, OS 61/KMS 35, SL 145 / MKS 36, OS 68/KMS 42 and SL 152/MKS 43, as are several other Norwegian ships. Note also that the site has Lisbeth in many convoys that are not mentioned in my own text. They can be found by going to this page and clicking on "Ship search", using "Lisbeth" as keyword.

HG 76 - December 1941 - A long detailed article on the battle.
HG-76, 16 - 23 Dec 1941 - Uboat.net's account.

2 who died on Lisbeth - Stoker Sigurd Stensen and Mechanic Erling Vik are commemorated. Both are listed as having been killed in a war related incident in Cardiff on Jan. 2-1941. Checking with the book "Våre falne", which lists Norwegian WW II casualties, I find that the Seamen's Home in Cardiff was bombed on that date. They are buried in Cardiff.