D/S Måkefjell- Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Some Convoy Voyages – 1940-1944:

Måkefjell is listed among the ships in Convoy HN 9A from Norway to the U.K. in Jan.-1940. The following month we find her in Convoy HN 10B - follow links for more convoy info; several Norwegian ships took part (see also ships in all HN convoys).

In July-1940 she shows up in Convoy OA 186, which left Methil on July 18, dispersed on the 21st. Her destination is given as Halifax, station 65 (ref. external links at the end of this page). At the end of Aug.-1940 we find her in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 2, in which the Norwegian Gro was sunk. Måkefjell had a cargo of lumber for Sharpness. According to "Nortraships flåte", Måkefjell's Captain Øywind Meitzner reported having collided with a German U-boat northwest of Ireland on Sept. 9-1940. This is parallelled by U-47, Prien's own report that he was almost hit by a cargo ship in Convoy SC 2.

The following month she's listed as bound for St. John, N.B. in station 43 of Convoy OB 232, which left Liverpool on Oct. 21-1940 and dispersed on the 26th (again, see external links below for more on this convoy, which had several Norwegian ships). She was scheduled to return to the U.K. with the slow Convoy SC 13, but instead joined the next convoy, SC 14, pit props for Sunderland. This convoy left Sydney, C.B. on Nov. 30 and arrived Liverpool on Dec. 17.

In the summer of 1941 she's listed as bound for Iceland in Convoy OB 343, which left Liverpool on July 6. She later joined a westbound North Atlantic convoy from there, namely Convoy ON 1, which had originated in Liverpool on July 26 (dispersed Aug. 9).

The Memorial for Seamen in Stavern, Norway (link below), states that Måkefjell was in port in Newcastle during an air raid there on Sept. 2-1941 and that 1 died. The book "Attack & Sink - The Battle of the Atlantic Summer 1941" by Bernard Edwards places Måkefjell with a cargo of lumber in Convoy SC 42 in Aug./Sept.-1941. If the info that she was in Newcastle on Sept. 2 that year is correct, she could not have been in this convoy, which did not arrive Liverpool until Sept. 15. The memorial's date could be incorrect, of course. Please follow the link to SC 42 for details on this convoy battle and the names of ships sunk (incl. the Norwegian Stargard).

In Apr.-1942 she's listed in the Reykjavik-U.K. Convoy RU 20, in ballast for Clyde, and the following month she appears, with destination Sheet Harbour, in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 98*, departing Liverpool on May 26, arriving New York on June 12. She subsequently returned to the U.K. at the end of June in the slow Sydney (C.B.)-U.K. Convoy SC 89, cargo of paper pulp for Rochester, and later headed back to Sydney, C.B. in the westbound Convoy ON 120*, which left Liverpool on Aug. 8 and dispersed on the 27th. The external site that I've linked to below also has Måkefjell in Convoy SC 101, which left Halifax on Sept. 19-1942 and arrived Liverpool on Oct. 5. As will be seen, she's not mentioned on my own page about this convoy, but my information is incomplete. According to the same site, she now made a few voyages to Iceland and back.

In June-1943 she's listed as bound for Bougie in Convoy KMS 16* (departure Gibraltar June 16 - she had also been present from the U.K. on June 4 when the convoy started out as the combined Convoy OS 49 / KMS 16, which split up on June 13, the KMS portion arriving Gibraltar on June 15, while the OS convoy continued to Freetown, with arrival there on June 23). At the end of that month she shows up in Convoy MKS 16A, voyage from Algiers to Oran - scroll down to the third table on that page.

In Sept.-1943 she's listed as bound from Philippeville to Bizerta in Convoy KMS 25* (from Gibraltar Sept. 10). This convoy had started out from Liverpool on Aug. 27 as the combined convoy OS 54 / KMS 25, split up on Sept. 8, the KMS portion arriving Gibraltar on Sept. 10, while the OS convoy continued to Freetown, with arrival there on Sept. 17. Note, however, that Måkefjell was not present from the U.K. this time, but joined from Philippeville, as mentioned.

A regular visitor to my Ship Forum (Platon Alexiades) has sent me a little snippet re. an order for the Italian corvette Pomona to escort Måkefjell, which had sailed from Taranto at 07:18 on Nov. 2-1943 for Brindisi (ETA 14:00 Nov. 3). Note that she's listed as bound for Taranto in Convoy AH 6, and also appears in Convoy AH 7 in this time period at the external site below. The site also has her in several other AH convoys, as well as returning HA convoys, some in 1943, some later on in the war; follow the instructions provided at the link to find them.

In March-1944 we find her, with no voyage information, in Convoy MKS 43*, which arrived Gibraltar on March 22, having originated in Port Said. That same day this convoy joined up with Convoy SL 152 from Freetown, the combined Convoy SL 152 / MKS 43 arriving Liverpool on Apr. 4 (also available at external link below), but Måkefjell was not present after juncture, so probably did not follow the convoy to the U.K. at that time. She is, however, listed with a cargo of scrap iron and stores in Convoy XK 15, which left Gibraltar on Apr. 2 and arrived Liverpool on the 12th (the Norwegian Lysaker V, Selvik and Sneland I are also included).

Måkefjell served as supply ship for the invasion of Normandy in June-1944, arriving June 12, leaving again June 24. (The external site below has her in several EBC and FBC convoys in this time period).

She was scheduled for Convoy OS 91/KMS 65 (U.K.-Gibraltar-Freetown), which left Liverpool on Oct. 4-1944, but did not sail. About a month later she shows up in the U.K.-Gibraltar Convoy KX 16, which arrived Gibraltar on Nov. 8 - again, see the external links below for more on both these convoys.

As will be seen, there are quite a few gaps in my voyage information for this ship, but by following the instructions provided at the external link already mentioned, some of these gaps will be filled (up until Apr.-1945).

* 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, several Norwegian ships sailed in all of them. All the MKS and KMS convoys will also be added; for now, the ships sailing in them are named in the section listing ships in MKS convoys, and the section for ships in KMS convoys.

Related external links:
OS and OS/KMS convoys - The site also has a section on the OB (& OA) convoys. As will be seen, Måkefjell is mentioned in OA 186, OB 232, and OS 91/KMS 65. OS 54 / KMS 25 is also included, but as mentioned, Måkefjell joined the KMS portion of this convoy en route and was not present from the U.K. Note also that by going to this section of the same site and clicking on "Ship Search", using "Makefjell" as keyword, several convoys that are not mentioned in my own text will come up, including many local U.K. convoys, and a few convoys to Iceland and back (1942), among others. Here are OB 343, SC 101, OS 49 / KMS 16, AH 6, AH 7, XK 15, and KX 16, all mentioned in my text above.

See also this chronological list of
OA & OB convoys

The 1 who died - The cook, Oddvar Marius Moen is commemorated, said to have died in an air attack in Newcastle on Sept. 2-1941, but Måkefjell is listed as being en route to the U.K. in Convoy SC 42 at that time.