M/S Martin Bakke
Updated Apr. 24-2008

To Martin Bakke on the "Ships starting with M" page.


Source: Roger W. Jordan collection.

Some War Voyages:

Martin Bakke, bound for Liverpool with lumber, lead and general cargo, was scheduled for the Bermuda portion of Convoy HX 64 in Aug.-1940, but did not sail. She shows up, with no voyage information, in a convoy designated LG 1 at the first external website that I've linked to at the end of this page. This convoy is said to have left Liverpool on Sept. 12-1940 and dispersed on the 15th.

The same website has included her, together with Bajamar, in Convoy PG 3, leaving Cristobal on July 23-1942, arriving Guantanamo on the 27th. 2 days later we find her in Convoy TAW 8G from Guantanamo, which arrived Key West on Aug. 1, then proceeded to New York with Convoy KN 127 (with Kollbjørg), departing Key West on Aug. 5-1942, arriving New York on the 11th. The site also has her in Convoy UGF 2, departing Hampton Roads on Nov. 2-1942, arriving Casablanca on the 18th, returning with Convoy GUF 2, which left Casablanca on Nov. 29-1942 and arrived Hampton Roads on Dec. 11.

At the end of Febr.-1943 we find her in station 102 of Convoy HX 228 in which Brant County was sunk. Martin Bakke had a general cargo as well as 10 passengers, and was bound for Manchester. At the end of that year she's listed in Convoy HX 270, which left New York on Dec. 10-1943 and arrived Liverpool on the 26th. This convoy is not available among the HX convoys included on my own site, but see the external link provided at the end of this page; the Norwegian Elisabeth Bakke, Heranger, Herbrand, Høyanger, Norholm, and Washington Express are also listed.

In Jan.-1944 she's listed in the fast westbound North Atlantic Convoy UC 10*, which left Liverpool on Jan. 12 and arrived New York on the 25th. She returned to the U.K. the following month in Convoy CU 15, as the only Norwegian ship, bound for Newport with general cargo. At the end of March she joined the westbound Convoy UC 17*, which departed Liverpool on March 27 and arrived New York on Apr. 7, and in May that year she's listed in CU 23, returning to the U.S. with Convoy UC 24* - departure Liverpool May 29, arrival New York June 9. Later that month she shows up in Convoy CU 29, together with the Norwegian tanker Karsten Wang. Martin Bakke was bound for Manchester with general cargo and vehicles, and headed back to the U.S. again with Convoy UC 31*, which left Liverpool on July 25 and arrived New York on Aug. 5. The Norwegian California Express and Mosdale also took part. We now find her, again with a general cargo and vehicles for Manchester, in Convoy CU 36, later returning with the westbound Convoy UC 37*, which left Liverpool on Sept. 12 and arrived New York on the 23rd. Karsten Wang is again listed. Martin Bakke was scheduled to head back to the U.K. with Convoy CU 42 the following month, but did not sail, and does not show up again until Convoy CU 46 on Nov. 7 (along with Hegra). She rounded off that year by sailing to the U.S. with Convoy UC 48A*, together with Nordahl Grieg. This convoy left Liverpool on Dec. 8 and arrived New York on the 22nd.

In Jan.-1945 she's listed in Convoy CU 55, along with California Express. Martin Bakke's destination is given as Manchester, general cargo. She subsequently joined the westbound Convoy UC 56A*, again with Nordahl Gieg in company (departure Liverpool Febr. 11, arrival New York Febr. 23), and the following month we find her, together with Finnmark, Hegra, Karsten Wang and Margrethe Bakke, in Convoy CU 62 to the U.K. She then joined the westbound Convoy UC 62B*, departing liverpool on Apr. 2, arriving New York on the 13th, and headed back to the U.K. later that month in Convoy CU 67 (departure New York Apr. 24, arrival Liverpool May 5), again with California Express in company, as well as Honningsvaag, Ida Bakke and Kirkenes. Martin Bakke's destination is given as Antwerp on that occasion, general cargo, station 13, and according to the external website below she joined Convoy TAM 160 in order to proceed to her destination, with arrival Antwerp on May 7. She left Antwerp again on the 15th in Convoy ATM 155, subsequently joining the westbound North Atlantic Convoy UC 68A* (left Liverpool May 17, arrived New York May 28). Ida Bakke is also included in this convoy.

* All the UC convoys mentioned here will be added to individual pages in my Convoys section in due course; in the meantime, ships sailing in them are named on the page listing ships in all UC convoys.

POST WAR:

Aground on Nov. 30-1963 in River Scheldt on a voyage from Valparaiso to Antwerp. Refloated on Dec. 6 and taken in tow to Vlissingen, inspected and condemned. Sold in Dec.-1963 to Jos de Smedt, Burght for breaking up. Left Antwerp in tow on Jan. 11-1964, arriving Burght the same day for scrapping.

Related external links:
Convoy LG 1 - The site also has PG 3, TAW 8G, KN 127, UGF 2, GUF 2, HX 270, TAM 160, ATM 155,

The Australian War Memorial has another picture of this ship. It can be found by running a search through their collection search page.

Back to Martin Bakke on the "Ships starting with M" page.

The company later had another ship by this name, originally delivered as Ventura in Jan.-1951 (Halfdan Ditlev Simonsen, Oslo), 5713 gt. Purchased by Knut Knutsen OAS in July-1965, renamed Martin Bakke. Sold to Arne Teigen & J. Hetland, Egersund in 1972, renamed Rytterholm. Capsized and sank on Oct. 12-1976 near La Corunna, Spain on a voyage Porsgrunn-Bangkok - 35 men saved, 1 lost. There's a thread about this vessels on my Ship Forum.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Krigsseileren", "Våre motorskip" by Leif M. Bjørkelund and E. H. Kongshavn, and misc. (ref. My sources).