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M/S Olaf Fostenes To Olaf Fostenes on the "Ships starting with O" page. Manager: Lars Fostenes & O. A. Knutsen, Haugesund Delivered in Nov.-1936 from Helsingør Jernskibs- og Maskinbyggeri, Helsingør, Denmark as Olaf Fostenes to Lars Fostenes Rederi A/S (Lars Fostenes & Ole Andreas Knutsen), Haugesund 1936 (sister ship of Vibran). Fruit carrier (bananas, Gabon/Kamerun). The 3 fruit carriers M/S Mosdale, M/S Mosfruit and Olaf Fostenes were well known for their fast voyages back and forth across the Atlantic during the war, often sailing alone. In the course of 1941 they had transported 58 549 tons of cargo to England, and made 25 trips. After the other two ships had been lost, Mosdale carried on, sometimes in convoy, but usually alone. Fruit cargoes were of course no longer a priority, so these ships were to a great extent used for the transportation of meat and general cargo during the war. Captain: Captain Valvatne, later Axel Lindahl, or Lidahl? (previously of M/S Tosca).
Captain Valvatne. A French visitor to my website has told me that Olaf Fostenes sailed from Casablanca in Convoy 90-KF under French escort on Apr. 20-1940. At Brest Apr. 24. Sailed from Brest on Apr. 30-1940 in Convoy 41-BF under French escort. To Casablanca or Oran. According to the first external website that I've linked to at the end of this text, Olaf Fostenes was scheduled for Convoy SLF 38 (Freetown-U.K.) in July-1940, but did not sail. She rescued 251 survivors from the torpedoed Dutch passenger steamer Volendam (15 000 gt, captain Wepster) on Aug. 30-1940, on a voyage in convoy OB 205 from Liverpool to Halifax. She had a complement of 273 and 606 British passengers, including well over 300 women and children, all being evacuated to Canada due to the war. Volendam was torpedoed by U-60 (Schnee). The rescued passengers were landed at Greenock on Sept. 1. The British Bassethound and Valdemosa also took part in the rescue operations. Volendam did not sink, but was towed to Clyde and beached (an undetonated torpedo was found in her bow), later repaired and used as troop transport. My Guestbook has a message from one of the rescued passengers. In 1941 Olaf Fostenes also rescued 37 from a British ship in the Atlantic; name of the ship not known. In the Commodore's narrative of the voyage of Convoy ON 36, there's mention of the British Ancylus colliding with Olaf Fostenes on Nov. 26-1941, but I believe this must have been a separate incident, as this ship is said to have continued to Halifax.
Captain Axel Lindahl (who had been on board for 18 months). Torpedoed, starboard side between holds No.'s 1 and 2 by U-380 (Röther) on Sept. 18-1942, position 44 56N 41 05W, when on a voyage alone from Liverpool to Halifax in ballast, having departed Liverpool on Sept. 12. According to a summary of survivors' statements, dated Nov. 4-1942, she was on course 285° true, sailing at a speed of 15 1/2 knots and was zig-zagging at the time. The weather was clear and very calm, visibility very dark, no other ships were in sight. The radio was silent, but had been in use about 56 hours prior to the attack. There were 4 lookouts; 2 on top of the charthouse and 1 on each wing, but the U-boat and wake of torpedo had not been seen due to the darkness. Time of attack is given as 07:00 GCT in this report, which adds that the torpedo resulted in a large hole about 35' forward of the bridge between the 2 holds where she had been struck. The confidential papers and books, as well as 13 packages of diplomatic mail were thrown overboard. The radio operator's attempt to send an SOS failed, but the emergency antenna was rigged up so that a message could be sent (the receiver was inoperable). The raft, which was located on the No. 2 hatch was thrown across the bridge and down to the boat deck where it was smashed, and the starboard lifeboat was also blown away and partly destroyed. She listed heavily to port and, fearing the ship would capsize, the port boat and the port motorboat were launched. The 15 men in the motorboat and 21 in the lifeboat rowed away, but as no U-boat could be seen the captain and 1st engineer decided to return to the ship to see if anything could be done to save her. However, before they could do so, a U-boat was seen coming to the surface between the lifeboat and the ship, then submerged to periscope depth and fired a second torpedo which struck in the engine room port side, and she sank (time given as 08:30 GCT in survivors' statements). The lifeboat was subsequently ordered alongside the U-boat for questioning regarding ship's name, destination etc. When the name was given, the officers on the U-boat exchanged smiles, leading the survivors to believe that the U-boat had been looking for Olaf Fostenes. While this interrogation was taking place, another U-boat was sighted some distance away signalling to the first one by flashing light, which was read by Olaf Fostenes' radio operator as beginning "AAA-K-UBZ", then continued by semaphore. This U-boat also came alongside and stood by. After the questioning had ended, the first U-boat examined the other lifeboat as well as a 3rd empty one(?), then semaphored the second U-boat before they both moved off on the surface in a northeasterly direction at 09:45 GCT. The 2 boats were described as exactly alike "about 150' long, 500 tons, were newly painted a very dark grey or black, no signs of chipping or rust, aerials bow to stern but no net cutters. Conning tower about 12' high, 6' to 8' long, squarish in shape, 3" gun on forward deck, Oerlikon was mounted on tower, and machine gun raised portion of after deck aft of tower". The 2 lifeboats then set sail for New Foundland (about 550 n. miles away), after having helped themselves to extra provisions and water from the ruined lifeboat and one of the rafts. On Sept. 26 they were spotted by an American aircraft (H-10) and shortly thereafter rescued by HMS Firedrake which landed them at St. John's the following morning. An inquiry into the sinking was held there on Sept. 29-1942 with the captain, the 1st mate and the 1st engineer appearing.
Crew List - No casualties:
Related external links: SL Convoys - As will be seen, Olaf Fostenes is mentioned in Convoy SLF 38). There's also has a section on the OS and OS/KMS convoys, and others. This is a great resource, and well worth a visit. Back to Olaf Fostenes on the "Ships starting with O" page. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: " Våre motorskip", Leif M. Bjørkelund & E. H. Kongshavn, "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "Sjøforklaringer fra 2. verdenskrig", Norwegian Maritime Museum, summary of survivors' statements, received from Tony Cooper, England (from British archives), and misc. (ref. My sources).
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