D/S Ørnefjell - Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945

Misc. Convoy Voyages:

In Jan./Febr.-1940 Ørnefjell can be found among the ships in the Halifax-U.K. Convoy HX 17, as the only Norwegian ship taking part. She was bound for London with paper at the time, sailing in station 94 of the convoy, which left Halifax on Jan. 22. Towards the end of Febr. she may have been scheduled for Convoy OA 98GF; there's a Norwegian ship crossed out from station 15 of that convoy which looks like Ørnefjell, but the text is very faint so I can't be sure.

A French visitor to my website has told me that Ørnefjell was seized off Algeria by French patrol boats on Apr. 9-1940 (the day of the German invasion of Norway) and ordered to Oran. Released a few days later.

She's listed as sailing in Convoy HG 31 from Gibraltar to the U.K. at the end of May-1940, having cancelled from the faster convoy, HGF 31. She had a cargo of oranges and general, and was bound for Liverpool in station 23. The captain's name is given as S. Andresen at this time. The only other Norwegian ship in HG 31 was Garonne.

In Aug.-1940 she was in Convoy HX 66, carrying lumber and general, joining the convoy from Sydney C.B., and in Nov. that year she was one of several Norwegian ships in Convoy HX 89, bound for Manchester, station 72.

It looks like Christmas that year was spent while in Convoy OB 264, leaving Liverpool on Christmas Eve 1940, dispersed on the 29th. Her destination is given as Freetown. Names of the other ships in this convoy, some of which were Norwegian, are available at the external link at the end of this page.

Early the following year, in Febr.-1941, she can be found in Convoy SL 65, which left Freetown on Febr. 10 and arrived Liverpool on March 8. Again, please go to the first external website that I've linked to at the end of this text for more convoy details. As will be seen, the Norwegian Belita, Belinda, Bur, Fernlane, Morgenen and Polartank are also included.

In June-1941 she sailed in Convoy HX 132, bound for Manchester and Glasgow with general cargo in station 62 of the convoy, again joining from Sydney.

She was in station 55 of Convoy HX 148 in Sept.-1941, along with the Norwegian Herbrand (52), James Hawson (83), Grey County (93), Stigstad (64), Idefjord (35), Egda (54), Vivi (76), and Mirlo (23), as well as the Panamanian Norvinn (Norwegian managers, therefore listed on this website, station 53, between Herbrand and Egda).

She was also in Convoy HX 163 (departed Halifax on Dec. 3-1941) together with the Norwegian Andrea Brøvig, Haakon Hauan, Ringstad, Harpefjell, Høegh Giant, Ranja, Pan Aruba, and Thorshøvdi.

More details on all the other Norwegian ships mentioned here can be found with the help of the alphabet index at the end of this page.

Going back to the external website that I've linked to below, Ørnefjell is included in Convoy OS 17 in Jan./Febr.-1942, together with a few other Norwegian ships. Ørnefjell was on a voyage in ballast from Liverpool to Freetown and Nigeria in station 32 of the convoy. She returned to the U.K. the following month with Convoy SL 103, which departed Freetown on March 14 (Gibraltar March 22) and arrived Liverpool on Apr. 2-1942. Ørnefjell's cargo is given as W.A. produce, and she was bound for Mersey, sailing in station 81. Click on the link for more convoy details.

I found a little snippet in a magazine saying that a young English messboy, Bob Williams age 15, joined this ship in Liverpool in Apr.-1942 as the only English crew member on board (I mention this in case a relative is looking for info on his war history. He also mentions other Norwegian ships he sailed on - I'd be glad to supply this information if needed).

In June/July that same year we find Ørnefjell in station 12 of Convoy HX 196 from Halifax, then at the end of the year, on Dec. 29, she's mentioned in connection with Convoy HX 221 from New York, but it looks like she was only bound for St. John's, general cargo and Army stores, station 12.

In May-1943 she sailed in the westbound North Atlantic Convoy ONS 7, again in the company of several other Norwegian ships.

She also sailed in Convoy HX 297 in June/July-1944, bound for Loch Ewe and Iceland with general cargo. This convoy originated in New York on June 24, but Ørnefjell joined from Halifax (left June 26). She subsequently left Iceland for Loch Ewe on July 21 with Convoy RU 128 in order to return to Halifax.

Related external link:
SL convoys and OS/KMS Convoys - The site also has a section for the Russian convoys, as well as OB (& OA) convoys, and a very useful Multi-Convoy Web Search feature, all of which can be reached through the main page. As can be seen Ørnefjell is listed in Convoy OB 264, SL 65, OS 17 and SL 103.

Back to Ørnefjell on the "Ships starting with Ø" page.

Other ships by this name: Another ship by this name had been built in Porsgrunn for this company in 1929; possibly identical to WW II's Akabahra? Olsen & Ugelstad had another Ørnefjell in the 1960's, originally delivered as Havøk in 1955 (P. Meyer, Oslo), built in Alblasserdam, 4973 gt. Sold in July-1965 to A/S Rudolf (Olsen & Ugelstad), Oslo and renamed Ørnefjell. Sold in 1971, renamed Kongsfjell (Brødrene Olsen A/S, Stavanger), renamed Concordia Fjell in 1972, Kongsfjell again later that year. Renamed Arias in 1973, having been sold to owners i Tokyo, Panamanian flag. Renamed Ma Wan Island in 1976, Hong Kong owned, Panamanian flagged. Broken up in 1980.