M/T Norsktank
Updated March 26-2012

To Norsktank on the "Ships starting with N" page.

Pictures are available at this external website.

Misc. Convoy Voyages:

For information on voyages made in between those mentioned here, please see the documents received from the National Archives of Norway and A. Hague's Voyage Record above. Follow the convoy links provided for further details; the Commodore's notes are also available for some of them and several Norwegian ships took part.

On Dec. 8-1941, Norsktank is listed among the ships in Convoy HX 164 from Halifax to the U.K. Other Norwegian ships were Polarsol, Gallia, Hilda Knudsen, Kaia Knudsen and Leiesten. According to Page 1, Norsktank arrived Avonmouth, via Belfast Lough, on Dec. 28.

In Jan.-1942 we find her, together with Braganza, Hardanger (returned), Herbrand, Hilda Knudsen, Kongsgaard, O. A. Knudsen, Pan Aruba, Salamis, Sommerstad (returned), Svenør, Sydhav and Thorshavet (note that some of these joined from Iceland), in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 59*, which originated in Liverpool on Jan. 23. The archive document mentioned above gives her destination as Port Arthur, however, she put back to Belfast Lough on Jan. 27 and did not leave again until March 17, joining Convoy ON 77* (originated in Liverpool March 17), but she again returned. Haakon Hauan, Helgøy, Nortind, Salamis, Spinanger and Vinland are also named in this convoy. Norsktank eventually got away in Convoy OS 23, ref. external link provided in the Voyage Record. The Norwegian Marit II, San Andres and Thorshavet are also listed. This convoy had started out in Liverpool on March 24 and arrived Freetown on Apr. 11, but Norsktank's destination is now given as Curacao, where she arrived on Apr 13, having sailed from Belfast Lough on March 25 - again, see Page 1. That summer she's listed in Convoy SL 112, which left Freetown on June 4 and arrived Liverpool on the 23rd (link in Voyage Record). Norsktank was on a voyage from Aruba to Manchester, cargo of fuel oil, station 53. Bralanta, Glittre, Herbrand and Atlantic are also included, along with the Panamanian Vestfold (Norwegian managers and, therefore, listed under the V's on this website).

A month later, Norsktank joined the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 115*, together with Brimanger, Emma Bakke, Herbrand, Høegh Hood, Katy, Ørnefjell, Solfonn and Topdalsfjord. This convoy departed Liverpool on July 24-1942 (several ships were torpedoed - ref. external link at the end of this page). She arrived Halifax on Aug. 6, and after having made another voyage to Curacao, she returned to Halifax in order to join Convoy SC 101 on Sept. 19. The following month she appears, along with Fernmoor (returned), Idefjord, Reinholt (returned), Trondheim (returned), Tungsha and the Panamanian Vestfold, in Convoy ON 139* (departure Liverpool Oct. 16, arrival New York Nov. 1). She now remained in New York for several weeks, before proceeding to Trinidad; Page 1 shows her subsequent voyages; convoy information for these can be found in the Voyage Record above.

She was scheduled for Convoy HX 225 from New York at the end of Jan.-1943, but instead joined the next convoy on Febr. 8, HX 226, for which Laurits Swenson served as Commodore Vessel. However, Norsktank became a straggler and went into St. John's on Febr. 14, later joining the slow Convoy SC 120*, which had originated in New York on Febr. 13 and arrived Liverpool March 5 and also included Brand, Gausdal, Mathilda, Norhauk, Nyco and Vest. Norkstank had sailed from St. John's on Febr. 19 and stopped at Loch Ewe on March 4, proceeding to Invergordon on the 6th. It'll be noticed, when going to Page 2, that she subsequently spent quite a long time in Tyne, before returning across the Atlantic in the westbound Convoy ON 180*, originating in Liverpool on Apr. 24, arriving New York May 14. She had served as Escort Oiler for the convoy and had again been in the company of several other Norwegian ships, namely Belinda, California Express, Norsol, Reinholt (Commodore Vessel), Skandinavia, Skjelbred, Thorhild and Velma. (It's possible the long stay in Tyne was due to her being fitted out for service as Escort Oiler?).

Having remained in New York for over a month, she made another voyage to Curacao and back to New York (convoy information in Voyage Record), then proceeded to Boston and on to Halifax, where she joined the slow Convoy SC 138 at the end of July. Her destination is given as Stanlow, and she arrived there on Aug. 15, heading back in the other direction again in Convoy ON 198* (from Liverpool Aug. 21, to New York Sept. 4). According to A. Hague, she carried 200 tons of FFO on this voyage, serving as Escort Oiler, sailing in station 52. This convoy also included Ferncourt, Katy, Nueva Granada, Petter, Skiensfjord, Vanja and Vinga.

It now looks like she spent an extended period of time in New York; the next voyage shown on Page 2 is from New York to Curacao and back in Febr./March-1944, then on to Boston and Halifax, where she at the end of March joined the slow Convoy SC 156, in which the Norwegian Ruth I and South America were sunk - follow the links for more details. Together with Atlantic, Elg, Ferncliff, Kaia Knudsen, Olaf Bergh, Slemmestad and Thorhild, she subsequently joined the westbound Convoy ON 233*, departing Liverpool on Apr. 20, arriving New York May 8. In July, she can be found in the largest convoy ever to cross the Atlantic, namely Convoy HX 300 from New York, returning with Convoy ON 248F*, which left Liverpool Aug. 6 and arrived New York Aug. 20. Ferncourt, Idefjord, John Bakke, Polarsol and Solfonn are also listed. At the end of that month she joined Convoy HX 306 in order to head back to the U.K. Her destination is given as Shellhaven, where she arrived on Sept. 18 according to Page 3. She had served as Escort Oiler again and also carried spare depth charges.

She now joined the westbound Convoy ON 256*, along with Abraham Lincoln (Commodore vessel), Egerø, Fagerfjell, Ferncourt, Katy, Montevideo, Olaf Bergh, Sørvard and Thorsholm (from Liverpool Sept. 28, to New York Oct. 12), and early in Nov.-1944 we find her in the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 160 (Escort Oiler, 56 depth charges). Tunsberg Castle is named among the escorts for this convoy, as is Buttercup, which came under the Norwegian flag following the loss of Tunsberg Castle - see SC convoy escorts. Christmas that year was celebrated while in the westbound Convoy ON 272*, which left Southend on Dec. 14-1944 and arrived New York Jan. 1-1945 - Norsktank, which had joined from Belfast Lough, had again operated as Escort Oiler. Egerø, Ferncourt and Strix also took part.

She now made another voyage to Curacao and back to New York, then on to Boston and from there to Halifax (Page 3) and at the end of Jan.-1945 she joined the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 166, bound for Shellhaven, where she arrived Febr. 20 (Escort Oiler, 56 depth charges). With Buenos Aires, Østhav, Roald Amundsen, Solfonn, Sophocles, Strix, Thorshov and Tiradentes, she subsequently joined the westbound Convoy ON 287*, which departed Southend on Febr. 25 and arrived New York March 14. Arnold Hague has also included her, with Arosa (returned), Evanger, Grey County, Henrik Ibsen, Ima, Morgenen, Norvarg and Vinga, in Convoy SC 171*, departing Halifax March 27, arriving Liverpool Apr. 10. Her last Trans-Atlantic convoy voyage was made in ON 297*, together with Abraham Lincoln, Brasil, Brimanger, Emma Bakke (Commodore Vessel), Fernwood, Geisha and Topdalsfjord, departing Liverpool on Apr. 17, arriving New York May 2, and that's where VE Day was celebrated. Norsktank had been Escort Oiler for both these convoys, and also carried 60 depth charges when in the SC convoy. Page 4 shows her voyages in this period (to July-1946 - it looks like spent 3 months in Rotterdam that year, unless some voyages are missing from the record).

* The ON convoys 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. Note also that the entire SC series will eventually be updated and completed, including the already existing convoys (some have already been updated), but for now, see ships in all SC convoys.

More info on the other Norwegian ships mentioned here is available via the alphabet index below, or go to the Master Ship Index.

POST WAR:

According to details found on the Riversea International website (which no longer seems to exist) she became Panamanian Janko again in 1947 (Pankos Operating Co., Panama). Laid up in the Fal from March 22-1951 to Sept. 17-1951. It appears she broke in 2 again at some point. According to the website that I've linked to below this happened on the coast of Spain on Jan. 28-1951. The after part was towed to Vigo on Jan. 30 and the foreship towed upside down to the inlet to the river Mino by local fishermen. Towed from Vigo on Febr. 27 to Falmouth (March 7) to unload and for inspection. Foreship was declared a total constructive loss. Sold to British breakers Messrs. Cashmore, Newport, arriving Sept. 19-1951.

Related external links:
More on this ship - The site also has pictures and information on several other Anders Jahre ships; here's a list, and here's the main page. Text is in Norwegian.

Ships hit from Convoy ON 115

Back to Norsktank 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.