D/S Nyco - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Misc. War Voyages:

(Excerpts from two articles by Captain Engebrethesen which appeared in Norges Handels- og Sjøfartstidende in May-1947, received from Tor Leiv Torvik, Norway (see his message in my Norwegian Guestbook).

In Sept.-1939 Nyco was on a voyage from Dakar to Bordeaux with ground nuts, and carrying 9 French passengers, having departed Dakar on Aug. 25, arriving Bordeaux on Sept. 6. After discharging she docked at La Pallice, then made a voyage to Brasil, The West Indies and New York, later to Venezuela and Texas, where cargo was picked up for Buenos Aires with arrival the latter on Jan. 11-1940. Departed Rio de Janeiro at the end of Febr.-1940 with cargo of coffee for Tanger, Turkey, Palestine and Egypt, via St.Vincent for bunkers. Arrived Tanger in the morning of March 18-1940 and left that same evening for Istanbul. Seized by a British destroyer and ordered to Gibraltar where she remained for 3 days.

When Norway was invaded by the Germans on Apr. 9-1940, Nyco was in the Mediterranean on a voyage from Jaffa to Alexandria with the remainder of the cargo of coffee, arriving Alexandria that same day. Was on time charter to a Persian company in Hong Kong and was to be delivered for time charter in Suez in the morning of Apr. 25 at the latest, but was kept in Alexandria and could not leave until Apr. 17. She was again stopped at Port Said, but after a telegram had been sent to Hysing Olsen she was cleared for departure on Apr. 24 (see my page Nortraship for info on the difficulties during those early days), with arrival Suez Apr. 25 in time for the deadline. She subsequently voyaged to Calcutta via Aden with cargo of salt, arriving Calcutta on May 17. She now traded in the Far East and the Indian Ocean. In the fall of 1940, she made a voyage from Singapore and Colombo with general cargo and war stores for Suez, via Aden for convoy, having to wait there for 4 days. The convoy of 28 ships was attacked by Italian aircraft, but all the ships made it safely to their destination. After having discharged and loaded a new cargo at Suez for 12 days she returned to Singapore via Colombo, and celebrated Christmas that year in Singapore.

Arrived Rangoon on Jan. 1 -1941 with a cargo of petrol in barrels, which were to be transported to China across Burma Roads. After having unloaded this cargo on Jan. 11-1941 she was taken over by Ministry of War Transport (for the rest of the war) and continued trading between Rangoon, Colombo and Calcutta. By the spring of 1942 the situation in these areas had become so critical that it was decided that the Norwegian ships remaining in this service were to be withdrawn; some went ot Australia, others to the U.S. Nyco was to be among the latter group, but first she loaded a cargo in Calcutta a week before Easter 1942, attacked by aircraft south of Ceylon but arrived her destination Cochin safely. After having made a voyage to Bombay, and another to Aden with petrol from the Persian Gulf, she arrived Cape Town in Sept.-1942. From there she headed to Port Elizabeth where a 3" gun and other armament was installed and by the middle of Nov. she was ready for departure to the U.S. Captain Engebrethsen had to leave at that time due to illness and Captain Thorvald Andreassen took the ship to the U.S. He was subsequently relieved by Captain H. Østerbø.

Early in Jan.-1943 Nyco shows up in Convoy GN 32, bound for New York. She made two voyages to Greenland for the U.S. Army that year, carrying troops and equipment for the U.S. bases. The last voyage was very trying, taking over 5 months, Nyco having been caught by the drifting ice. She arrived New York via Reykjavik in Dec.-1943 and Captain Engebrethsen returned to the ship, whereupon she made voyages New York – Cuba – Colombia and Panama, always in convoy.

POST WAR:

Nyco was in New York on May 7-1945. In Jan.-1946 she made a voyage for United Fruit Co. with copper phosphates from Baltimore to Puerto Armuelles, Panama and Golfito, Costa Rica. After having discharged her cargo she went to Cuba via Christobal to pick up a cargo for New York. When in Savannah on March 29-1946, Captain Engebrethsen paid off and was replaced by Captain Johannes Zopfi. In Apr./May-1947 Nyco arrived Fredrikstad, Norway for the first time since she left the yard in Oslo in Aug.-1938. Sold in May-1947 to Einar Rasmussen, Kristiansand S and renamed Polykarp (sailed for Fred.Olsen in 1947, later for Svenska Orient Linien). Condemned following a fire on Sept. 30-1949 when in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela.