M/S Olaf Fostenes - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Manager: Lars Fostenes & O. A. Knutsen, Haugesund
Tonnage: 2994 gt, 1757 net, 2940 tdwt
Dimensions: 322.5 x 45.9' x 26.7'
Machinery: 9 cyl. 2 tev B&W, 3200 bhp, 15 knots
Signal Letters: LJGK

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).

Captain: Captain Valvatne, later Axel Lindahl, or Lidahl? (previously of M/S Tosca).

Her voyages are listed on these original images from the Norwegian National Archives:
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3

Some Convoy Voyages:

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, usually sailing alone. In the course of 1941 they had transported 58 549 tons of cargo to the U.K., and had 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 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, arrived Brest Apr. 24. Sailed from Brest on Apr. 30-1940 in Convoy 41-BF under French escort. To Casablanca or Oran. (Both these convoys are available via the external links below). Compare this to the information found on Page 1 above.

In June, we find her in Convoy OB 163, which departed Liverpool on June 8-1940, joined up with OA 163 on the 9th, the combined convoy forming the Gibraltar bound Convoy OG 33, which arrived there on the 14th (see my page naming ships in all OG convoys). Olaf Fostenes, however, was bound for Dakar, where she arrived June 18. She was scheduled for Convoy SLF 38 from Freetown to the U.K. on July 4, but did not sail. According to Page 1, she arrived Freetown from Duala on July 5, left again on July 6, and arrived Liverpool July 17/18.

Olaf Fostenes 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, saying: I was thrilled to find a picture of this ship, I was one of the 251 survivors of the Volendam torpedoed 30th August 1940 in the Atlantic. I was just 9 years old at the time, we boarded Olaf Fostenes in one of the baskets used to load bananas. I well remember how kind the crew were to us, and was sad to hear of the fate of this good ship, but very pleased that none of the crew were lost. Whenever I see the Norwegian flag I think of the Olaf Fostenes. Thanks for the picture I shall treasure it. Convoy OB 205 had departed Liverpool on Aug. 29-1940 and dispersed on the 30th, and also had other Norwegian ships, in addition to Olaf Fostenes - ref. link below.

Together with the Norwegian Katy, she later joined Convoy OB 209, departing Liverpool on Sept. 5-1940, dispersed Sept. 9, Olaf Fostenes arriving Freetown on Sept. 21 (she had joined from Clyde). Having made a voyage from Freetown to Victoria, Nig., she returned to the U.K. in Oct.-1940, and is subsequently listed, with Boreas, Inger Fire and Tore Jarl, in Convoy OB 236, which left Liverpool on Oct. 29-1940 and dispersed Nov. 2. Her destination is not given, but going back to the archive document mentioned above, we learn that she arrived Freetown on Nov. 14.

Olaf Fostenes is also said to have rescued 37 from a British ship in the Atlantic in 1941; name of the ship and exact date not known. In the Commodore's narrative for Convoy ON 36, there's mention of the British Ancylus colliding with Olaf Fostenes at 05:00 GMT on Nov. 25, but I believe this must have been a separate incident, as this ship is said to have continued to Halifax, and there's not mention of a rescue. Note that Olaf Fostenes was not part of this convoy, in fact, she was sailing in the other direction - according to Page 2, she was en route from Halifax to Liverpool on that date, but put in to St. John's, N.F. the next day, continuing her voyage to Liverpool from there on Dec. 16.

Related external links:
Convoy 90 KF - The site also has 41 BF, OB 163, OB 205, OB 209 and OB 236. There's also a section on SL Convoys, and Olaf Fostenes is mentioned in Convoy SLF 38.

The attack on Volendam

Final Fate - 1942:

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 (see Page 3). 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.