D/S Nova

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

Earlier, before Norway had capitulated, Nova had been used as troop transport in the North of Norway, after the Allied forces had landed. She had unloaded her cargo at Hammerfest and was ordered north to Tromsø by the Norwegian Navy in order to be made ready to take on board German prisoners. She then proceeded to Narvik where 32 prisoners (from the navy) were embarked. Nova also transported the crew of a German trawler which had been seized by the Norwegian Navy, renamed Honningsvåg and used as patrol vessel. (This trawler also took part in the evacuations of the allied troops from the north of Norway on June 7, arriving Thorshavn on June 12, and was later used as patrol vessel on Iceland). The prisoners were taken to a place off Hammerfest. After Narvik had been retaken by the allies on May 28 Nova transported 80 prisoners to Troms.

Nova had 82 German prisoners on board at the time of departure Kågsund for Thorshavn on June 7. German bombers followed them and kept firing at Nova with machine guns for a long time but no bombs were dropped, perhaps the pilots knew she had Germans on board. The Norwegian gunboat Frithjof Nansen escorted them on this voyage. The prisoners were landed at Thorshavn, but only 81 prisoners were on board at that time; what happened to the 82nd man nobody ever figured out. Nova continued to Glasgow soon afterwards.

Some later voyages:

Nova is listed among the ships in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 73 in Sept.-1940, bound for Liverpool with a cargo of paper and aluminium in station 73 of the convoy. Other Norwegian ships also took part, as will be seen by following the link.

At the end of Aug.-1941 she's listed in station 46 of the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ON 11, bound for Iceland. Later that year we find her in station 36 of the westbound Convoy ON 37, which left Liverpool on Nov. 15-1941; again bound for Iceland.

Towards the end of July-1944 she shows up in the Iceland-U.K. Convoy RU 128, bound for Leith with Naval stores.

POST WAR:

Converted to oil fuelling in Antwerp, delivered in Jan. 1948. Ran aground on Dec. 19-1949 between Obrestad and Vig (near Stavanger), voyage Antwerp-Stavanger with 38 passengers and general cargo. Wreck sold in Apr.-1950 to Stavanger Skibsophugning which broke up parts of the wreck that summer.

Back to Nova on the "Ships starting with N" page.

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Bergenske, byen og selskapet", Dag Bakka Jt., "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, and a personal story found in "Sjøfolk i krig", Leif M. Bjørkelund - (ref. My sources).