M/T Morgenen - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Misc. Convoy Voyages – 1940-1945:

Morgenen was in Convoy HG 28 from Gibraltar to the U.K. at the end of Apr.-1940, cargo of gas oil, kerosene and benzine, station 73. The only other Norwegian ship in this convoy was Sandar. The following month she's listed in Convoy OA 152, which left Southend on May 20, dispersed on the 22nd - see external links provided below. She was scheduled for Convoy HX 52 in June/July-1940 (Bermuda portion), but did not sail. She shows up again in Convoy HX 59 on July 19-1940, bound for Clyde with a cargo of aviation spirits, having joined from Bermuda. Several Norwegian ships sailed in these convoys; follow the links for more details. Later that year we find her in Convoy OB 233, leaving Liverpool on Oct. 23, dispersed Oct. 27 - again, ref external links below.

In Febr.-1941 she sailed in Convoy SL 65, which left Freetown on Febr. 10 and arrived Liverpool on March 8. Please go to the first external website that I've linked to at the end of this page for more convoy details. As will be seen, the Norwegian Belita, Belinda, Bur, Fernlane, Ørnefjell and Polartank are also included. The same website has Morgenen, with destination New York, in Convoy OB 299, which left Liverpool on March 19-1941, dispersed on the 25th.

In May-1941 she sailed in Convoy HX 126, in which M/T John P. Pedersen was sunk. Morgenen had a cargo of gasoline, her destination is given as Barry Roads and she sailed in station 82. Follow the links for a lot more details on this convoy. The following month she shows up, with destination Curacao, in Convoy OB 334, leaving Liverpool on June 11, arriving Halifax on the 25th - also available at the external site already mentioned.

Tony, a visitor to my website has told me that she was in Convoy HX 142 (in station 124) in Aug.-1941, together with the Norwegian Siljestad (76), Kristianiafjord (86) and Nyholt (56). The Norwegian Corvus was also initially in this convoy but was sent to SC 39 because she was too slow for HX 142. According to Arnold Hauge, HX 142 departed Halifax on Aug. 1-1941 and arrived Liverpool on the 18th (please note that this does not mean that all the ships had Liverpool as their final destination, many ships went to other ports on arrival UK waters). According to Tony's information 63 ships sailed from Halifax in this convoy, while 8 sailed from Sydney, C.B. Kirkpool and Scottish Musician had engine defects and were sent back to Halifax. Like Corvus, Hercules (Dutch?) was also sent to join SC 39 because of her slow speed. Rotterdam, Murena, Hjelmaren and Narragansett went missing in the fog (from HX 142). Empire Sailor did not join HX 142 till Aug. 6. Perth was the rescue ship for this convoy.

The following comes from the Commodore's notes:
Delayed in sailing by fog which persisted during the whole convoy. First count was on August 4th when four ships were missing. On Aug. 5 Sydney portion of 8 ships and SC 39 of 27 ships joined HX 142. SC 39 parted company with HX 142 on Aug. 13. (HX 142 and SC 39 are available via the external links provided at the end of this page).

After unloading her cargo, Morgenen sailed to Halifax with the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 10, which left Liverpool on Aug. 27-1941, returning to the U.K. the following month with Convoy HX 151 (station 93) along with the Norwegian Sama (85), San Andres (105), Meline (43), Dagrun (54), Belinda, Thorshøvdi (53), Sophocles, Tigre (44), Hardanger (94), Leiv Eiriksson (24), and Laurits Swenson (it says just Swenson, but I assume it should be Laurits Swenson). This convoy left Halifax on Sept. 22 and arrived Liverpool on Oct. 7. Later that month she joined the westbound Convoy ON 28* (departure Liverpool Oct. 20, dispersed Nov. 3), and must have gone back to the U.K.*, because she's also listed in the westbound Convoy ON 52* at the end of Dec.-1941 (left Liverpool Dec. 31, dispersed Jan. 11-1942).

* In fact, the external site below has her in Convoy HX 161, which left Halifax on Nov. 21 and arrived Liverpool on Dec. 6. As will be seen when following the link to my own page about this convoy, she's not included there, but my information may be incomplete.

She was scheduled for Convoy HX 182 in March-1942, but instead joined the next convoy, HX 183, at the beginning of Apr. In May she's listed as bound for Port Arthur in the westbound Convoy ON 95* (departed Liverpool May 15), returning to the U.K. in July with HX 200. She subsequently went back to the U.S. towards the end of Aug. with the westbound Convoy ON 123. In Oct.-1942 she was scheduled for Convoy HX 212 in which Kosmos II was sunk, but joined the next convoy, HX 213, cargo of gasoline for Grangemouth, station 21, and towards the end of Nov. that year we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 149*, which left Liverpool on Nov. 26 and arrived New York on Dec. 12. Note that she's listed in Convoy GAT 30 in this period, leaving Guantanamo on Dec. 18-1942, arriving Trinidad on the 25th - Morgenen's voyage information on that occasion is given as "Gitmo to Curacao". She also shows up, voyage Curacao to Gitmo, in the returning Trinidad-Guantanamo Convoy TAG 31, which left Trinidad on Christmas Eve 1942 and arrived Guantanamo on the 28th. She subsequently travelled from there to New York in Convoy GN 31, which left Guantanamo on Dec. 28 and arrived New York on Jan. 4-1943 - all 3 are external links.

2 days later (Jan. 6-1943) she was scheduled for Convoy HX 222 from New York, but did not sail. She was also cancelled from HX 223, but eventually got away with HX 224 on Jan. 22, heading back to New York at the end of Febr. with the westbound Convoy ON 168*, which left Liverpool on Febr. 21 and dispersed on March 12. In May that same year she can be found in Convoy HX 238, bound for Manchester with lube oil, station 41, and already towards the end of June she was back in New York (having arrived with Convoy ON 187*, which had left Liverpool on June 1 and arrived New York on the 15th) and ready to return to the U.K. with Convoy HX 245, bound for Stanlow with a cargo of oil, sailing in station 94. She then joined the westbound Convoy ON 194* at the end of July, bound for Philadelphia. This convoy left Liverpool on July 24, and arrived New York on Aug. 7. Later that month she was scheduled for Convoy HX 252 (in which Santos was lost), but instead sailed in the next convoy, HX 253 (station 44, bound for Birkenhead), then returned to the U.S. in Sept.-1943 with the westbound Convoy ON 202 (ONS 18), in which Oregon Express and Skjelbred were sunk. She must have gone back to the U.K. again*, because early in Dec.-1943 she shows up in the westbound Convoy ON 214* (departure Liverpool Dec. 2, arrival New York Dec. 20), and rounded off that year by sailing to the U.K. from New York with HX 273, spending the last day of 1943 at sea.

* Going back to the external site below we find her in Convoy HX 266 in this period (left New York on Nov. 13, arrived Liverpool on the 27th). This convoy is not available on my own site.

In Jan.-1944 she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 221*, which left Liverpool on Jan. 24 and arrived New York on Febr. 11. In March we find her in Convoy HX 282, returning at the end of that month with Convoy ON 230* (left Liverpool March 30, arrived New York Apr. 17). Towards the end of Apr. she joined Convoy HX 289 in order to go back to the U.K., and in May she joined the westbound Convoy ON 238*, which left Liverpool on May 26 and arrived New York on June 9. Later that month she joined Convoy HX 296 from New York, bound for Avonmouth and Mersey, and subsequently returned across the Atlantic in July with the westbound Convoy ON 244* (departure Liverpool July 10, arrival New York July 23). In Aug. that same year she's listed in Convoy HX 302, her destination is given as Mersey and Manchester. Tony has told me that she on Oct. 7-1944 sustained damage during heavy weather while on passage from Liverpool to Philadelphia; 7 shell plates were damaged. This must have been while in Convoy ON 258*, in which she's listed (left Liverpool Oct. 6, arrived New York Oct. 24). In the middle of the following month she shows up, with destination Manchester, in the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 161, returning with Convoy ON 273*, which left Liverpool on Dec. 18 and arrived New York on Jan. 4-1945.

On the night of Jan. 21/22-1945, Morgenen was in collision with the American steamer M. J. Tracy (should this be M. & J. Tracy?) in New York harbour and grounded on Liberty Flats. At the time of the collision she was leaving Pier 54 North River harbour on passage from Philadelphia and New York to the U.K. loaded. It appears her damages were not too bad, because about a week later she shows up, with destination Mersey and Stanlow, in the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 166, which left Halifax on Jan. 31-1945 and included several other Norwegian ships as well. In Febr.-1945 she's listed as sailing in the westbound Convoy ON 286*, which left Liverpool on Febr. 21 and arrived New York on March 9, and also appears in the westbound Convoy ON 298* the following month (departure Liverpool Apr. 21, arrival New York May 7), so must have gone back to the U.K. at some point*. On May 16-1945 a survey was held in Brooklyn N.Y. in respect to the damages from the above incidents. Port and starboard bilge keels for 50 to 100 ft respectively were renewed as well as 9 plates.

* 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. More information on the Norwegian ships named on this page can be found with the help of the alphabet index at the end of the page.

* Listed in Convoy SC 171 at the external site below (left Halifax March 27-1945, arrived Liverpool Apr. 10).

POST WAR:

Morgenen left Harstad, Norway for New York in ballast f. o. on Aug. 27-1945. On the 30th she lost the propeller and tailshaft in position 60 57N 5 19W, and was taken in tow by a British tug on Sept. 1, arriving Longhope "Lyness" Orkney Islands the following day, continuing in tow to Greenock for repairs on Sept. 3, arriving the Clyde Anchorage on Sept. 5. Arrived Greenock on Sept. 12 (info received from Tony Cooper, England).
Morgenen was renamed Esperance in 1951 (Bjarne Ruud-Pedersen, Oslo), Titanian in 1955 (Hilmar Reksten, Bergen). Bow and cargo section incorporated into Fabian in 1961, converted to dry cargo. Stern/machinery broken up at Burcht in Nov.-1961.

Related external links:
SL convoys - As can be seen, Morgenen is listed in station 94 of Convoy SL 65. The site also has a section on OS/KMS Convoys, as well as OB (& OA) convoys, Russian Convoys and many others. Note that by going to this section of the same site and clicking on "Ship Search", using "Morgenen" as keyword, some convoys that are not mentioned in my own text will come up. Here are OA 152, OB 233, OB 299, OB 334, HX 142, SC 39, HX 161, HX 266, and SC 171, all mentioned in my text above.

A casualty - Cause is not given at this memorial, though under the heading "wrecked" is the date Aug. 24-1940. I assume that date relates to the day of Einar Emil Grandstrøm's death, however, the book "Våre falne", which names Norwegian casualties in WW II, says he died during an air attack on London on Aug. 28-1941 - no ship is mentioned in this book.