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M/S Para To Para on the "Ships starting with P" page. Manager: A/S J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi, Bergen Delivered in March-1921 from NV Werf Voorheen Rijkee & Co., Rotterdam (160) as San Paulo to D/S A/S Otto Thoresens Linie (Otto & Thor Thoresen A/S), Oslo. 376.4' x 51.5' x 21', 2 x 6 cyl. 4 TEV DM (Werkspoor N.V., Amsterdam), 2300 bhp. Sold in Jan.-1922 to A/S J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi, Bergen and renamed Para. (I've been told she was the sistership of Estrella). Operated on Den norske Syd-Amerika Linje services (owned by Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab, A/S. J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi and Fred. Olsen & Co.). Captain: Arne Sømoe - on board for 24 years and 7 months, from the time she was delivered in March-1921. A personal story sent to me states that Para was mostly in service U.S.A.-England with, among other things, ammunition and explosives. See also this page, which is the story of someone who served on board - text in Norwegian only.
According to the second external website that I've linked to at the end of this page, Para sailed in Convoy SL 35, which left Freetown on June 8-1940 and arrived Liverpool on the 26th. The Norwegian Eli and Stirlingville are also included. The same website has her in Convoy SL 70, leaving Freetown on March 29-1941, arriving Liverpool on Apr. 23. She rescued 23 people from one of the lifeboats of the British tanker Inversuir on June 3-1941, which had been torpedoed and shelled by U-48 (later sunk by U-75). In Aug. that year she can be found among the ships in Convoy SL 84, which left Freetown on Aug. 5-1941 and arrived Liverpool on the 28th. Para's destination was Oban with W. A. Produce. In Nov. she's listed in station 92 of Convoy SL 93, which departed Freetown on Nov. 19 and arrived Liverpool on Dec. 10-1941 - again, refer to the external link below. It looks like she subsequently started voyaging to the U.S., because in Febr.-1942 she shows up in the slow Halifax-U.K. Convoy SC 70, bound for Avonmouth with general cargo. In May that year she was in Convoy SC 84, leaving Halifax for the U.K. on May 14-1942. A year later, in May-1943 she's listed in Convoy SC 132 from Halifax, then in Sept. that year she sailed in SC 142. A few months later, in Jan.-1944, she was in Convoy SC 151, which left Halifax on Jan. 14-1944 and arrived Liverpool on the 31st. Many other Norwegian ships also took part in these convoys, as will be seen by following the links provided. In May-1944 Para, with cargo of sugar and military vehicles, was in Convoy HX 291, which included several other Norwegian vessels, among them Heranger, Høyanger (Vice Commodore ship), O. B. Sørensen, Vav, Villanger, Stirlingville, Minerva, Velox, and others. This convoy departed New York on May 10 and arrived Liverpool on the 27th; Para's destination is given as Greenock. In Aug.-1944 we find her in Convoy HX 303 with 16 other Norwegian ships, namely Tanafjord, Dalfonn, Noravind, Atlantic, Sommerstad, Skotaas, Geisha, Thorhild, Petter, Stirlingville, Rena, Romulus, Titanian, Mui Hock, Fjordaas and Norse Lady, all listed on this website. Para was bound for Hull with a cargo of sugar on that occasion. Early the following year she made a voyage to Curacao from Southend with a cargo of cement in Convoy OS 113/KMS 87, sailing in station 73 of the convoy, which departed Liverpool on Febr. 26-1945.
Sold in Sept.-1956 to Giovanni Cappola, Genova, Italy and renamed San Nicolisio. Sold in 1957 to Cia. de Nav. San Fruttuso, S.p.A. (Gennaro Jacomino), Palermo, Italy. Broken up in Italy 1961. Related external links: SL Convoys - The site also has a section for the OS and OS/KMS convoys as well as Russian convoys, and a very useful Multi-Convoy Web Search feature - here's the main page. As can be seen, Para is listed in Convoy SL 35, SL 70, SL 84, SL 93 and OS 113/KMS 87. Back to Para on the "Ships starting with P" page. Other ships by this name: In Aug.-1959 another Para was delivered to A/S J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi, Bergen, built in Naples. This ship was sold to Germany in 1968 and renamed Mariva. Sold again in 1972 and renamed Feiyueh for owners in Hong Kong, later sailed under the name Cheng De for Chinese owners from 1977. The company later had another Para. This was originally Thor Dahl's 5711 gt Thorsdrott, built in Sandefjord in 1964, which was sold to Haugesund in 1972 and renamed Vikfrost. Renamed Para for Mowinckel in 1977, later Audalia (Audacia?) of Montevideo from 1979. Broken up in Taiwan in 1985. The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, "The World's Merchant Fleets", R. W. Jordan, "Våre falne", and misc. (ref. My sources).
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