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D/T Norheim To Norheim on the "Ships starting with N" page. Manager: Nortraship Norwegian-type tanker, built as Empire Pearl by Sir J. Laing & Sons Ltd., Sunderland. 501.3' (oa), 484' x 68.3'. Engines: T3cyl. Launched July 29-1941, completed in Oct. The first attempt to launch Empire Pearl was made on July 10-1941, but she stuck when half way down the ways. Tugs and yard equipment failed to move her, and she was reblocked aft and made safe. The ship then settled firmly on both end ways and there was insufficient time to remove, regrease and replace the cradles in time for another launch attempt the following day. Therefore, the launching had to be postponed for over 14 days, to await the next suitable tide. Norheim was one of 19 ships transferred to Nortraship in 1942 - see Empire Ships on my page "Ship Statistics & Misc." for names of the other 18. Norheim was taken over at Avonmouth on March 26. As will be seen below, she made her first westbound Atlantic crossing shortly thereafter. Related item on this website:
Norheim is listed in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 83*, departing Liverpool on Apr. 4-1942, however, she returned to port, subsequently joining Convoy ON 87*, which departed Liverpool on Apr. 16 and dispersed on the 26th. Her destination is given as Houston. In June we find her in Convoy HX 194 from Halifax to the U.K., returning with the westbound Convoy ON 109*, which left Liverpool on July 3 and arrived Halifax on the 18th; Norheim, however was bound for New York on that occasion. At the end of the following month she joined Convoy HX 205, gas oil for Mersey, station 64, then headed to New York again with the westbound Convoy ON 138*, departing Liverpool on Oct. 11, arriving New York on Nov. 3. She then went back to the U.K. in Convoy HX 218, sailing from New York on Dec. 5, arriving Liverpool on the 21st. Norheim's destination is given as Manchester, and she had station 82 of the convoy. (Note that she made some voyages to Key West in between the above mentioned voyages - see instructions at the external link below). She subsequently returned to New York on Jan. 4-1943 in station 71 of the westbound Convoy ON 159, and at the end of that month she joined Convoy HX 225, bound for Milford Haven with aviation fuel in station 102. In March-1943 she's listed in the westbound Convoy ON 170, which departed Liverpool on March 3 and had a total of 12 Norwegian ships. Norheim was bound for New York, station 43. The external site that I've linked to at the end of this page also has her in Convoy HX 231, which left New York on March 25-1943 and arrived Liverpool on Apr. 10. This convoy is not included among the HX convoys on my own site. About a week later she joined the westbound Convoy ON 179* (departure Liverpool Apr. 18, arrival New York May 6). In June that same year she made a voyage from Gibraltar to Clyde, cargo of Admiralty fuel, Convoy SL 131/MKS 15 (having previously arrived Gibraltar in Convoy UGS 8A, from Hampton Roads May 14-1943 - ref. external link below). She was in the Gibraltar portion, MKS 15, which joined up with the Freetown Convoy SL 131 on June 24-1943, the combined convoy arriving Liverpool on July 4. The external website already mentioned has more information on the combined convoy. Anna Odland, Dagrun, Hallfried and Karmt are also listed. Norheim then headed back to New York in Convoy ON 194*, which left Liverpool on July 24-1943 and arrived New York on Aug. 7, and later that month we find her in Convoy HX 252 from New York, bound for Avonmouth, station 23. At the beginning of the following month she joined the westbound Convoy ON 200*, which departed Liverpool on Sept. 2 and arrived New York on the 18th. Norheim's destination is not given, but going back to the external site we find her in Convoy HX 258, departing New York on Sept. 22-1943, arriving Liverpool on Oct. 6 (not available on my own site). Christmas and New Year's Eve of that year were celebrated while in the westbound Convoy ON 217*, which left Liverpool on Dec. 24 and arrived New York on Jan. 10-1944. Later that month she's listed as bound for Avonmouth in the Halifax portion of Convoy HX 275, originating in New York on Jan. 13-1944 (Halifax portion sailed 2 days later), arriving Liverpool on the 28th. She subsequently returned with the westbound Convoy ON 223*, which departed Liverpool on Febr. 7 and arrived New York Febr. 24 (but no destination is given for Norheim). She now made a voyage to Augusta the following month (see link to Convoy UGS 35 provided below), and in Apr.-1944 she shows up in another MKS convoy, namely MKS 46*, which arrived Gibraltar on Apr. 21. Norheim, however, was bound for Algiers, having started this voyage from Augusta. (For info, MKS 46 joined up with the Freetown Convoy SL 155 on Apr. 23, the combined convoy arriving Liverpool on May 3, but Norheim was not present in this convoy). She subsequently travelled back to the U.S. from Algiers with Convoy GUS 37, according to the site below (convoy arrived Hampton Roads on May 11-1944). In June/July-1944 we find her listed among the ships in the U.S.-Port Said Convoy UGS 45, together with Norholm, Hjalmar Wessel and Roald Amundsen. The Norwegian ships parted company with this convoy at Augusta, then on July 19 Norholm, Norheim and Roald Amundsen joined Convoy GUS 46, going in the other direction. This convoy had originated in Port Said on July 14, arrived Hampton Roads on Aug. 8. Later that year, in Oct.-1944, she shows up in Convoy HX 313 from New York to the U.K. This convoy arrived Liverpool on Oct. 24 (Norheim's destination was Avonmouth), and already on the 29th we find her in the westbound Convoy ON 263*, which arrived New York on Nov. 15 (again, no destination is given for Norheim). She was scheduled for the New York-U.K. Convoy HX 339 in the middle of Febr.-1945, but did not sail. Note, however, that the external site below has her, with no voyage information, in Convoy UGS 75 at this time (left Hampton Roads on Febr. 17-1945, arrived Gibraltar March 4), returning the following month in Convoy GUS 79, which arrived Hampton Roads on Apr. 9. (The site also has her in several other UGS and GUS convoys in the course of 1944 and 1945 - follow the instructions at the link to find them).
More information on all the other Norwegian ships mentioned here is available via the alphabet index at the end of this page.
Named Kollgrim (O. Berg, Oslo) in 1946. Converted to motor ship in 1950 (see Post War details for Vega). Sailed as Walton, Dingwall Shipping Co. Ltd., Halifax N.S. (Nordstrom & Thulin A/B, Sweden) in 1955. Converted to an ore carrier (10 080 gr. 14 350 rdw). Renamed James Hamel (United Shipping and Trading Co. Ltd.) in 1963, then Pager Trader, Pager Traders Inc., Liberia (Ship Services Ltd., Bermuda) that same year. In 1968 she was owned by Pecos SS Co. Inc., Liberia (Elkan Ltd., Bermuda). Scrapped at Vinaroz, Spain in Jan.-1969. Related external links: Empire Ships - Empire Pearl can be found under the P's. Back to Norheim on the "Ships starting with N" page. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, and misc., including information received from Barbara Mumford, her source Mitchell & Sawyer's "Empire Ships".
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