D/S Norefjord - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Misc. Convoy Voyages – 1940-1944:

(More will be added).

Norefjord is listed in Convoy OA 174, which departed Southend on June 25-1940 and dispersed 3 days later. Her destination is given as St. Francis, C.B. and she had station 45 of the convoy. The Norwegian San Andres is also included; see external links at the end of this page. The following month we find her going in the other direction with the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 58, destination Barrow, then in Aug. she joined Convoy OB 199, leaving Liverpool on Aug. 16, dispersed on the 20th. In Sept. she sailed in Convoy HX 73, bound for Barrow with pulp wood. In Oct. she shows up in Convoy OB 231, which left Liverpool on Oct. 19 and dispersed on the 23rd. Her destination is given as Halifax, station 33. Again, see the first external website that I've linked to at the end of this page for more information on the latter convoy; the Norwegian Idefjord, Rena and Skaraas are also listed. Norefjord is also mentioned in connection with Convoy HX 95 in Dec.-1940; she's crossed out from station 62 of that convoy, but sailed in the next convoy, HX 96, bound for Hull with a cargo of grain.

In Jan.-1941 she's listed in Convoy OB 279, which left Liverpool on Jan. 28, dispersed Febr. 2. She was scheduled for Convoy HX 111 later that month, but instead joined HX 112, bound for Swansea with a cargo of grain in station 82. In Apr. that year we find her in Convoy OB 311, bound for Halifax (left Liverpool Apr. 16, dispersed Apr. 25), returning to the U.K. in May with Convoy HX 127, again with a cargo of grain (it looks like she had been cancelled from the previous convoy, HX 126). In June she shows up, with destination Montreal, in Convoy OB 338, which left Liverpool on June 21, dispersed on July 3. Again, see the site that I've linked to below for more convoy information. The site also has her in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 141 at the end of July-1941 - she's not mentioned on my own page for HX 141, but as will be seen when following the link, my information is incomplete. In Sept. that same year we find her in station 83 of the westbound Convoy ON 14, bound for Galveston, and towards the end of Oct.-1941, she was in Convoy HX 156 from Halifax to the U.K., returning across the Atlantic at the beginning of Dec. with the westbound Convoy ON 42* (left Liverpool Dec. 1, dispersed on the 14th). Norefjord's destination is given as New York.

Early in the new year Norefjord joined Convoy HX 169, which left Halifax on Jan. 8-1942. She's said to have collided with the Dutch Palembang in this convoy and had to return to port. She joined Convoy HX 175 the following month, but again returned, later joining Convoy HX 176, which left Halifax on Febr. 19. In March that year she's listed as bound for Halifax in the westbound Convoy ON 79*, which left Liverpool on March 23 and arrived Halifax on Apr. 7. She went back to the U.K. the following month with Convoy HX 188, returning to the U.S. at the end of that month with Convoy ON 99. She was scheduled for Convoy HX 203 in Aug.-1942, but did not sail - according to Arnold Hague, she had arrived Halifax with Convoy BX 33 on Aug. 16 (external link), but was involved in a collision at Halifax and beached.

Norefjord, with a cargo of grain for London, is also listed in Convoy HX 216, which originated in New York City on Nov. 19-1942 and arrived Liverpool on Dec. 6. She joined this convoy from Halifax on Nov. 22 and had station 21, but lost touch in a gale encountered on Nov. 25; later reported to be in Convoy SC 110. This convoy had departed New York on Nov. 17-1942 and also arrived Liverpool on Dec. 6 - available at the external link below. She subsequently returned to the U.S. with the westbound Convoy ON 157 at the end of that month, sailing in station 82, later in station 93.

In Febr.-1943 she was one of several Norwegian ships in Convoy HX 226, which originated in New York on Febr. 8, but Norefjord again joined from Halifax, bound for Liverpool, cargo of flour. Early in Apr.-1943 she joined the westbound Convoy ON 177* (left Liverpool on Apr. 6, arrived New York, which was her destination, on the 23rd). She subsequently went back to the U.K. again in May in Convoy HX 237, joining from Halifax, bound for Avonmouth with grain and general. At the beginning of June she joined the westbound Convoy ON 187*, which departed Liverpool on June 1 and arrived New York on the 15th, however, Norefjord is said to have gone to Belfast Lough only, later joining Convoy ON 190* from there (originated in Liverpool on June 24). She returned to the U.K. in Convoy HX 249, which also originated in New York (July 23-1943), but Norefjord again joined from Halifax, and again her cargo is listed as grain, destination Avonmouth.

The 3rd external website that I've linked to at the end of this text has Norefjord in Convoy OS 54/KMS 25* in Aug./Sept.-1943, voyaging from Milford to Freetown with a cargo of coal in station 114. The same website has her returning with Convoy SL 138/MKS 28 in Oct.-1943, in which the Norwegian Hallfried was sunk. Norefjord was on a voyage from Freetown to Mersey, cargo of groundnuts. Other Norwegian ships in this convoy were Kristianiafjord and Lisbeth. (The Gibraltar portion is also available on my own site at MKS 28, which also adds the Norwegian Spurt). In Nov.-1943, she joined Convoy OS 60/KMS 34*, voyage Liverpool-Philippeville with vehicles and coal in station 83, and in March-1944 she can be found in Convoy OS 71/KMS 45*, on a voyage from Oban to Lisbon with coal in station 14. Follow the link provided for further dates and more info on these convoys.

Later that spring we find her in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 237*, leaving Liverpool on May 19, arriving New York on June 3. In Aug.-1944 she's listed in Convoy HX 304 from New York, bound for Liverpool with a cargo of sugar, returning across the Atlantic with the westbound Convoy ON 254*, which left Liverpool on Sept. 16 and arrived New York on Oct. 5 - her destination is given as Pugwash, N.S. on that occasion. She subsequently went back to the U.K. in Convoy HX 315, bound for Sharpness with a cargo of lumber, joining from Sydney, C.B.

Going back to the external website already mentioned, she's listed in Convoy OS 98/KMS 72* in Dec.-1944, voyage Milford-Freetown with coal in station 101.

* 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, the ships sailing in them (and escorts) are named in the section listing ships in all ON convoys. The KMS and MKS convoys will also be added; for now, they are available in the section listing ships in all KMS convoys, and ships in all MKS convoys. (As will be seen, Norefjord appears in KMS 34, KMS 45 and KMS 91, and MKS 46, MKS 81 and MKS 103).

POST WAR:

Sold in 1949 to F. N. Nordbø A/S, Haugesund and renamed Ryvarden. Later registered owners A/S Ryvarden (F. N. Nordbø, manager). Laid up at Haugesund in 1953, and later that year sold to Rolf Wigands Rederi, Bergen. Sold in 1955 to Halvorsen Shipping Co. A/S, Bergen. Sold in 1958 to Pan Norse Steamship Co. S.A., Panama and renamed Norse Lady. On Aug. 14-1958 she ran aground near Parigi, Celebes. Seized on Aug. 16 by Indonesian rebels, who got her afloat and took her to Belang, where she was beached. Sighted by the Indonesian Navy on the 18th. Set on fire by shelling on the 22nd and totally burnt out. The wreck was sold in March-1966 to Hong Kong buyers, then sold on to Taiwan shipbreakers for scrapping, arriving at Kaohsiung that same month.